Palestinian kills 2 Israelis, wounds toddler in Jerusalem

[Lite Beer]

Palestinian kills 2 Israelis, wounds toddler in Jerusalem
IAN DEITCH, Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — A Palestinian man fatally stabbed two Israelis as they walked in Jerusalem's Old City and seriously injured a woman and a toddler, before he was shot and killed by an officer on duty, police said Saturday in the latest in a series of Palestinian attacks.

Jerusalem police chief Moshe Edri said the Palestinian "stabbed an Israeli man, his wife and the toddler" multiple times in an alleyway before stabbing another man.

Both Israeli men succumbed to their wounds, he said, adding that the mother and the toddler are in serious condition. Israeli media later reported the toddler was lightly injured.

Police Spokeswoman Luba Samri said the Palestinian attacker took a gun from one of the wounded men and opened fire at police and tourists.

The Palestinian attacker was then shot and killed by an Israeli police officer who rushed to the scene. Police later identified him as Muhannad Halabi, a 19-year-old from Al Bireh, near Ramallah.

Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, issued a statement praising the attack which it called, "heroic."

It was the latest in a series of deadly Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians.

On Thursday, suspected Palestinian gunmen killed an Israeli couple in front of their children as they drove in the West Bank.

Multiple shots killed Eitam and Naama Henkin, residents of the Jewish West Bank settlement of Neria. Their four young children, including a four-month-old infant, were in the back seat of the car during the shooting but were unharmed.

Hamas welcomed that attack as well, but no Palestinian group immediately claimed responsibility for it. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has not commented on the latest attacks.

Israel forces were later deployed in the West Bank hunting for the gunmen.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said earlier that eight people were wounded by gunfire early Saturday in the northern town of Nablus. A Palestinian security official said seven members of the Islamic militant group Hamas were arrested. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters.

The Israel military said troops operated in thearea but would not elaborate further.

The attack Saturday night follows a recent spike in Palestinian attacks and a hard-line speech at the United Nations by Abbas, the last of several that Israeli leaders have condemned as incitement. Abbas has said that Israelis desecrate the Jerusalem holy site with their "dirty feet."

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said the "ruthless and cruel terrorism aimed at innocent civilians that attempts to disrupt our lives and hurt us is a direct result of incitement by the Palestinian Authority and routine incitement in mosques."

He called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "act decisively against those who incite and encourage terrorism."

Netanyahu is set to convene a meeting of top security officials when he returns to Israel on Sunday from the U.S.

Tensions have flared between Israelis and Palestinians in recent weeks, with much of the unrest focused on Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, site of the Al-Aqsa mosque.

The hilltop compound in Jerusalem's Old City is a frequent flashpoint and its fate is a core issue at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is known to Jews as the Temple Mount, site of the two biblical Jewish temples. Muslims revere it as the Noble Sanctuary, where they believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.

Non-Muslim visitors are only allowed to enter the site at specific hours and are banned by police from praying there. Many Muslims view these visits as a provocation and accuse Jewish extremists of plotting to take over the site. Israel has promised to ensure the delicate arrangement at the site and insists it will not allow the status quo there to be changed.

But Palestinians say that in the last two months, there has been a new development where Israel has intermittently restricted some Muslims from the compound when Jews visit. Israel says this is to reduce friction, but Palestinians claim that Israel intends to establish Muslim-free Jewish visiting hours. The site is so sensitive that even rumors are enough to trigger violence there.

Halabi appears to have been motivated by the tensions over the holy site. On Friday he wrote on his Facebook page: "What's happening to our holy places, what's happening to our mothers and sisters in Al-Aqsa mosque? We are not the people who accept humiliation. Our people will revolt."

There have been several days of clashes at the site over the past few weeks as Muslim protesters barricaded themselves inside the mosque while hurling stones, firebombs and fireworks at police. The unrest spread to Arab neighborhoods of east Jerusalem, where Palestinian protesters hurled stones at police and Israeli cars.

An Israeli died when Palestinians pelted his car with rocks and several others were injured in other incidents. Dozens of Palestinians were wounded in clashes with Israeli forces in violence that followed the Jerusalem unrest then. Israel responded last week by approving harsher measures that would loosen the rules of engagement for police to respond to stone throwers.

Israel captured the eastern part of Jerusalem, where the site is located, along with the West Bank in the 1967 war from Jordan, territory the Palestinians claim for their future state.

Palestinian police said late Saturday that rocks were thrown at homes of Palestinians in the West Bank and that several people were beaten in the Nablus area.

___

Associated Press writers Fares Akram in Gaza City, Gaza Strip and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this report.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-10-04

[Steely Dan]

The total silence from the Palestinian leadership is mirrored by that of the international press. Here is proof of the naked bias of the BBC, they are a disgrace to the UK and should be de-funded.

http://bbcwatch.org/2015/10/03/bbc-news-flunks-headline-of-report-on-jerusalem-terror-attack/

P.s Palestinians on social media are celebrating and their leaders are silent, forget any state, you don't deserve one. There was also another attack where two Israelis in a car were murdered in front of their four children, sub-human savages, currently holed up in Jenin surrounded by Police, I hope they don't come out alive.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Steely Dan

[Jingthing]

Yes, Palestinian terrorism is on the increase clearly fueled by the racist provocation of Abbas with his dirty Jewish feet rhetoric and lies about intentions to change the status quo at the Temple Mount.

Netanyahu is facing heavy political pressure now to take more harsh actions against these terrorists. I reckon he will have little choice now.

The international press loves to cover the "Pallywood" artificial setups where they bait and goad an Israeli soldier to do something that has bad PR optics for Israel. But as far as covering the actual Palestinian terrorism against Jews ... the press mostly takes a holiday.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Jingthing

[Steely Dan]

And yet he comes out with this at the UN, can that set of clowns still consider Abbas a fit leader of a state or fail to cart him off to the ICC he was so eager to join?

[Jingthing]

Indeed, and it is well known that Palestinian leadership opposes having any Jewish citizens in their fantasy "State of Palestine" which of course doesn't exist. Of course there is racism everywhere and many Israelis are racist ... but compared to the Palestinian leadership, the Palestinians win the "most racist" contest big time.

And Abbas supposedly represents the "moderate" side of Palestinian leadership, compared to Hamas.

It's hilarious that European "progressives" become so BLIND to the faults of the side that they're backing compared to the side that they're irrationally demonizing. On their own soil, they would be on the side of the ideals of a nation like Israel, which is much closer to their progressive ideals than Islamic Palestine could EVER be. No, not saying Israel is close to perfect, just obviously MUCH CLOSER to progressive European ideals.

No, sorry, I really can't ever forget the history of the "Palestinian Arab" identity movement and their earliest leader, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, who exiled in Berlin during WW2 openly worked with the Nazis to exterminate European Jews and got a promise from Hitler himself to go to Palestine when he could to kill all the Jews there as well. That's the context. The term "Islamo-fascist" often fits the reality.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Jingthing

[Pakboong]

A sad state of affairs indeed. The bit about one of the wounded Israelis having a gun which the attacker took from him and began shooting at the crowd seems a bit odd.

[Scott]

Off-topic deflection post has been removed.

[Seastallion]

I wonder what Israeli apologists would do if their home town was over-run and occupied by a group of people who treat them like 2nd class citizens and stole their property and practiced apartheid.

Me, I'd be arrested or dead already,fighting for my home. Thus, I can hardly blame the guy, albeit my sympathies go out to the victims and their families.

Get out, Israel. East Jerusalem is not yours and never was. You were graciously given a place to call home and state in 1947 and that did not include E.Jerusalem or the West Bank. Your continued occupation and settlement will of course bring freedom fighters to attack you. Of course it will. Don't blame them, blame yourselves.

[Seastallion]

The Abbas "dirty feet" comment: I don't know, I'm just asking........ Has it been blown out of proportion and out of context? Was he referring to the Muslim practice of washing feet before entering holy ground, whereas the Jews don't? It sounds like Israeli Jews might be desecrating a holy area in the Muslim view, and thus "dirty feet" is simply an accurate description.

But as I say, I don't know.

Knowledgeable insight welcome.

[dexterm]

from the OP...

The hilltop compound in Jerusalem's Old City is a frequent flashpoint and its fate is a core issue at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is known to Jews as the Temple Mount, site of the two biblical Jewish temples. Muslims revere it as the Noble Sanctuary, where they believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.

Non-Muslim visitors are only allowed to enter the site at specific hours and are banned by police from praying there. Many Muslims view these visits as a provocation and accuse Jewish extremists of plotting to take over the site. Israel has promised to ensure the delicate arrangement at the site and insists it will not allow the status quo there to be changed.

But Palestinians say that in the last two months, there has been a new development where Israel has intermittently restricted some Muslims from the compound when Jews visit. Israel says this is to reduce friction, but Palestinians claim that Israel intends to establish Muslim-free Jewish visiting hours. The site is so sensitive that even rumors are enough to trigger violence there.

Why has Netanyahu changed the arrangements that have worked perfectly well for nearly 50 years. I smell a rat, and according to facebook in the OP so did the man who stabbed the orthodox Jews. Under the pretext of "security measures" Muslims will continue to be excluded when extremist Jews are visiting, and who is going to stop them praying there as well..the IDF? That would be as sacrilegious as Muslims rolling out their prayer mats a few feet away at the Wailing Wall wher Jews are worshipping.

Netanyahu blames Abbas. I blame Netanyahu and his fanatical right wing cabinet. They are deliberately stirring up trouble as an excuse for "firm government" in order to create another intifada to protect their slim majority in the electorate. They have done so before. It wont work. Israel is just digging a deeper hole for itself.

Why doesn't Netanyahu do something concrete to calm things down such a moratorium on Jews visiting Haram al Sharif, until cooler heads prevail....simply as a stop gap to save lives. But maybe that is not part of his plan.

Edited October 4, 2015 by dexterm

[chuckd]

Didn't take long for the Islamic apologists to turn the blame for a murderous attack around.

The "toddler" must have started it.

[Seastallion]

Didn't take long for the Islamic apologists to turn the blame for a murderous attack around.

The "toddler" must have started it.

I have seen no "Islamic apologists" commenting on this thread. Get your terminology right. I am a supporter of a people who are living under an illegal occupation. Their religion, and the religion of the criminal occupiers has got nothing to do with my stance.

[Jingthing]

Didn't take long for the Islamic apologists to turn the blame for a murderous attack around.

The "toddler" must have started it.

Openly supporting terrorists and celebrating their kills right along with them.

This terrorist seemed to have had quite a FASHION sense though:

https://www.facebook.com/ShehabAgency.MainPage/videos/1198923473483404/

http://www.timesofisrael.com/the-third-intifada-is-here-jerusalem-terrorist-wrote-day-before-attack/

The dead terrorist comes off as a rich kid. Not exactly the stereotype of the "oppressed" Palestinian refugee (for 50 years ).

Muhannad Halabi, 19, was identified as the terrorist who stabbed two Israelis to death in Jerusalem, October 3, 2015 (Facebook image)

The third intifada is here,” wrote the Palestinian youth who on Saturday night killed two Israeli men in a terror attack in Jerusalem and injured two others, including a two-year-old.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Jingthing

[Seastallion]

Didn't take long for the Islamic apologists to turn the blame for a murderous attack around.

The "toddler" must have started it.

Openly supporting terrorists and celebrating their kills right along with them.

This terrorist seemed to have had quite a FASHION sense though:

https://www.facebook.com/ShehabAgency.MainPage/videos/1198910946817990/

You're using the word "terrorist" completely wrongly. The killer was a freedom fighter, unless you have evidence that he was a member of a terrorist organisation.

To say that anyone on this thread has openly celebrated the deaths is an outright lie and defamatory.

[chuckd]

Didn't take long for the Islamic apologists to turn the blame for a murderous attack around.

The "toddler" must have started it.

Openly supporting terrorists and celebrating their kills right along with them.

This terrorist seemed to have had quite a FASHION sense though:

https://www.facebook.com/ShehabAgency.MainPage/videos/1198923473483404/

Is that our intrepid warrior in the Facebook link?

Surprised he didn't use some of those devastating charms and good looks on murdering some women as well as attempting to murder "toddlers" and succeeding in murdering unarmed citizens.

Edited October 4, 2015 by chuckd

[dexterm]

Police Spokeswoman Luba Samri said the Palestinian attacker took a gun from one of the wounded men

The deceased was armed with a gun and occupying someone else's land.

[Jingthing]

Just goes to show even total hotties can be terrorists too.

[dexterm]

Didn't take long for the Islamic apologists to turn the blame for a murderous attack around.

The "toddler" must have started it.

Openly supporting terrorists and celebrating their kills right along with them.

This terrorist seemed to have had quite a FASHION sense though:

https://www.facebook.com/ShehabAgency.MainPage/videos/1198923473483404/

Is that our intrepid warrior in the Facebook link?

Surprised he didn't use some of those devastating charms and good looks on murdering some women as well as attempting to murder "toddlers" and succeeding in murdering unarmed citizens.

It is standard practise for Israeli colonists to be armed...they are part of an invading force.

Yes....linguistically very interesting innovative use by journalists of the emotive word "toddler". I wonder if it will become the norm in all reporting of child deaths and injuries. It would be fascinating to deconstruct the reporters motives.

Edited October 4, 2015 by dexterm

[chuckd]

Didn't take long for the Islamic apologists to turn the blame for a murderous attack around.

The "toddler" must have started it.

Openly supporting terrorists and celebrating their kills right along with them.

This terrorist seemed to have had quite a FASHION sense though:

https://www.facebook.com/ShehabAgency.MainPage/videos/1198923473483404/

Is that our intrepid warrior in the Facebook link?

Surprised he didn't use some of those devastating charms and good looks on murdering some women as well as attempting to murder "toddlers" and succeeding in murdering unarmed citizens.

It is standard practise for Israeli colonists to be armed...they are part of an invading force.

Yes....linguistically very interesting innovative use by journalists of the emotive word "toddler". I wonder if it will become the norm in all reporting of child deaths and injuries. It would be fascinating to deconstruct the reporters motives.

It might well be.

Just as the two words "Palestinian terrorist" will continue to live on in infamy and everyday usage.

[dexterm]

The two armed Israelis killed were Rabbi Lavi of Jerusalem and Aharon Bennett who lived in a West Bank settlement. Both were members of the IDF...an occupying army.

[up-country_sinclair]

The article in the OP mentions "civilians", but now we're learning that they were armed members of the murderous IDF.

If true, they were legitimate hard targets and freedom loving people will not mourn their deaths.

[up-country_sinclair]

The Abbas "dirty feet" comment: I don't know, I'm just asking........ Has it been blown out of proportion and out of context? Was he referring to the Muslim practice of washing feet before entering holy ground, whereas the Jews don't?

Of course that's what he was referring to.

But some of our esteemed members live in a perpetual state of imagined victimhood, and they will bend and twist context to such a degree that it becomes unrecognizable when compared to reality.

[Jingthing]

Well, if a new Intifada is actually coming, I guess it's time to unwrap the Jew's secret weapon -- FEET.

[HughJass]

[Jingthing]

As indeed this recent eruption related the the Temple Mount noise and also the Abbas UN speech MIGHT be the start of a new Intifada here is some background to put that in context:

While there is plenty to offend hard core partisans on either side, I think the emphasis here on the modern roots of this conflict and that it is in no sense a purely RELIGIOUS conflict are worthwhile. Personally I think they probably underestimate the religious aspect of it, on both sides. It isn't everything, but it's certainly PART of it.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Jingthing

[uptheos]

"Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, issued a statement praising the attack which it called, "heroic."

​This is the kind of disgusting shi-ite that Israel has to listen to all the time.

[SheungWan]

Didn't take long for the Islamic apologists to turn the blame for a murderous attack around.

The "toddler" must have started it.

I have seen no "Islamic apologists" commenting on this thread. Get your terminology right. I am a supporter of a people who are living under an illegal occupation. Their religion, and the religion of the criminal occupiers has got nothing to do with my stance.

[Jingthing]

The thing about Israel is that Israel is largely about being a national homeland for the Jewish PEOPLE, not only a religion but also a TRIBAL kind of ethnic group ... a tiny tiny minority in the world actually compared to Arabs (with an almost miraculous story of of survival in the face of thousands of years of persecution) ... so you can't really escape that unique situation when dealing with the Israeli (mostly Jewish PEOPLE) -- "Palestinian" Arab conflict.

It's nothing like white Belgians in the Congo. It's something entirely UNIQUE.

I've noticed that obsessive Israel demonizers are constantly trying to push the lie that Jewish is only a religion. But that is entirely FALSE. As I've said before (and shown in the rather objective video) the origins of the Zionist Jewish NATIONALIST movement with found success in the establishment of Israel was indeed largely a SECULAR movement about the Jewish PEOPLE rather than a drive for a theocracy of the Jewish religion.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Jingthing

[chuckd]

Didn't take long for the Islamic apologists to turn the blame for a murderous attack around.

The "toddler" must have started it.

I have seen no "Islamic apologists" commenting on this thread. Get your terminology right. I am a supporter of a people who are living under an illegal occupation. Their religion, and the religion of the criminal occupiers has got nothing to do with my stance.

I didn't see that post by Seastallion since I have him on ignore.

He must have mistaken me for somebody that gives a shiite about his opinion.

[Jingthing]

It appears the Israeli government is taking this current intense Palestinian terror wave more seriously. Politically, it's not as if Netanyahu could respond with nothing.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-wraps-up-4-hour-security-meeting-following-terror-attacks/

PM orders new measures to combat recent terror wave
After emergency security meeting, Netanyahu says use of administrative detentions to be expanded, demolition of terrorists’ home to be fast-tracked; security cabinet to convene Monday


Netanyahu also said after the meeting that Israel was “waging a fight to the death against Palestinian terror.”

...

Following the terror attacks Saturday, sources close to the prime minister were quoted as saying: “They want a third intifada? They’ll get a second Defensive Shield,” in reference to the IDF’s crackdown on terrorism in the West Bank in 2002 in response to the second intifada

Edited October 4, 2015 by Jingthing