The tragedy of the violence in the West Bank is that it would be so easy to prevent; Israel is an advanced modern state that has all the means to do it. The violence is also viewed as abhorrent by most Israelis. It’s a consensus issue. However, because a small lobby is able to influence policy, it isn’t prevented despite the IDF and most everyone mainstream wanting these almost daily attacks to end. Attacks on journalists, diplomats, civilians, cars, homes. Even the one Christian Arab village in the West Bank is targeted. A completely preventable tragedy however one views it. And although there was some violence in the past, the crescendo in the past years has become awful; the new trend of attacks on Shabbat and the sense of impunity among those attacking that they know there won’t be arrests or prosecutions, despite all the warnings from the army and security services It’s totally bizarre to see a small number of violent young men able to dictate the policy of a state of ten million. Every country has to face this question at some point. Whether it will surrender to lawlessness or not. Countries like El Salvador decided not to. It shows that it’s possible.