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| Palestinians Are Suspected as 2 Israelis Die in Knife Attacks | Palestinians Are Suspected as 2 Israelis Die in Knife Attacks |
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| JERUSALEM — An Israeli soldier and a woman were killed on Monday in separate stabbing attacks that the authorities attributed to Palestinian men, rattling Israelis and intensifying the political pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. | |
| The attacks took place near a crowded Tel Aviv train station around noon and a busy traffic circle in the occupied West Bank during the afternoon rush. They followed weeks of violence in Jerusalem that spiraled out to Arab towns in northern Israel, where on Friday night the police killed a Palestinian citizen of Israel wielding a knife. The country’s internal security minister ordered a crackdown to arrest members of Palestinian militant groups, while Mr. Netanyahu, after a late-night consultation with his security team, said he would increase forces on the ground and take other steps, including knocking down suspects’ homes. | The attacks took place near a crowded Tel Aviv train station around noon and a busy traffic circle in the occupied West Bank during the afternoon rush. They followed weeks of violence in Jerusalem that spiraled out to Arab towns in northern Israel, where on Friday night the police killed a Palestinian citizen of Israel wielding a knife. The country’s internal security minister ordered a crackdown to arrest members of Palestinian militant groups, while Mr. Netanyahu, after a late-night consultation with his security team, said he would increase forces on the ground and take other steps, including knocking down suspects’ homes. |
| Speaking to members of his Likud Party on Monday afternoon, after the Tel Aviv attack, the prime minister blamed “the incitement led by the Palestinian Authority,” and said that Israeli-Arab citizens “who demonstrate against Israel and in favor of a Palestinian state” can “move to the Palestinian Authority or Gaza.” | Speaking to members of his Likud Party on Monday afternoon, after the Tel Aviv attack, the prime minister blamed “the incitement led by the Palestinian Authority,” and said that Israeli-Arab citizens “who demonstrate against Israel and in favor of a Palestinian state” can “move to the Palestinian Authority or Gaza.” |
| “The terrorism against us knows no borders,” he said. “It is aimed at all parts of the country for a simple reason. The terrorists and those who incite to it want to get rid of us wherever we are.” | “The terrorism against us knows no borders,” he said. “It is aimed at all parts of the country for a simple reason. The terrorists and those who incite to it want to get rid of us wherever we are.” |
| Critics of Mr. Netanyahu said the attacks were an indictment of his leadership, with those on the left blaming the lack of a peace process with the Palestinians, and those on the right saying his security policy was too lenient. | Critics of Mr. Netanyahu said the attacks were an indictment of his leadership, with those on the left blaming the lack of a peace process with the Palestinians, and those on the right saying his security policy was too lenient. |
| Within moments of the first stabbing, police officers arrested an 18-year-old man from a refugee camp on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Nablus, whose family said he was in Tel Aviv illegally looking for work. The victim in that attack, Sgt. Almog Shilony, died Monday evening. | Within moments of the first stabbing, police officers arrested an 18-year-old man from a refugee camp on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Nablus, whose family said he was in Tel Aviv illegally looking for work. The victim in that attack, Sgt. Almog Shilony, died Monday evening. |
| The suspected assailant in the second attack, a member of Islamic Jihad who had spent five years in an Israeli prison, was shot by a security guard from a nearby Jewish settlement, and was in critical condition at a Jerusalem hospital late Monday. | The suspected assailant in the second attack, a member of Islamic Jihad who had spent five years in an Israeli prison, was shot by a security guard from a nearby Jewish settlement, and was in critical condition at a Jerusalem hospital late Monday. |
| Micky Rosenfeld, a spokesman for the Israeli police, said the second suspect had tried to ram his car into people waiting at a bus station, echoing two recent deadly attacks at Jerusalem light-rail stations. When that did not work, Mr. Rosenfeld said, he emerged with a knife and stabbed three Jews, including the woman who died — Dalia Lemkus, 26, a resident of Tekoa, a nearby Jewish settlement. | Micky Rosenfeld, a spokesman for the Israeli police, said the second suspect had tried to ram his car into people waiting at a bus station, echoing two recent deadly attacks at Jerusalem light-rail stations. When that did not work, Mr. Rosenfeld said, he emerged with a knife and stabbed three Jews, including the woman who died — Dalia Lemkus, 26, a resident of Tekoa, a nearby Jewish settlement. |
| The United States ambassador to Israel, Daniel Shapiro, condemned the attacks, saying in a Twitter post, “There is no justification for terrorism, under no circumstances.” | The United States ambassador to Israel, Daniel Shapiro, condemned the attacks, saying in a Twitter post, “There is no justification for terrorism, under no circumstances.” |
| But leaders of Fatah, the secular faction of the Palestinian president, and Hamas, the Islamist movement that dominates the Gaza Strip, described the attacks as “natural” or “normal” responses to Israeli policies. They cited recent announcements of settlement expansion, and the escalating conflict over the Old City holy site that is revered by Jews as the location of ancient temples and now houses two Islamic shrines, the Al Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. | But leaders of Fatah, the secular faction of the Palestinian president, and Hamas, the Islamist movement that dominates the Gaza Strip, described the attacks as “natural” or “normal” responses to Israeli policies. They cited recent announcements of settlement expansion, and the escalating conflict over the Old City holy site that is revered by Jews as the location of ancient temples and now houses two Islamic shrines, the Al Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. |
| “The Palestinian people are angry,” said Tayseer Nasrallah, a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council. “I don’t condemn these attacks, and I only blame Prime Minister Netanyahu for the stalemated conditions.” | “The Palestinian people are angry,” said Tayseer Nasrallah, a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council. “I don’t condemn these attacks, and I only blame Prime Minister Netanyahu for the stalemated conditions.” |
| Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said Israeli “crimes led the youth to fight back and take revenge,” adding, “The only one who’s responsible is the Israeli occupation.” | Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said Israeli “crimes led the youth to fight back and take revenge,” adding, “The only one who’s responsible is the Israeli occupation.” |
| On Sunday, Israeli officials accused Mr. Abbas and other Palestinian leaders of inciting the recent violence, an accusation they illustrated with video clips including two in which Palestinian leaders are heard calling specifically for knife and vehicular attacks. | On Sunday, Israeli officials accused Mr. Abbas and other Palestinian leaders of inciting the recent violence, an accusation they illustrated with video clips including two in which Palestinian leaders are heard calling specifically for knife and vehicular attacks. |
| “Even he who owns nothing but his faith has a kitchen in his house in which he has a knife,” Fathi Hamad, a leader of Hamas, said in a Nov. 5 television interview. “He must grab his knife and confront the Zionist enemy.” In July, another Hamas official had said that “anyone who owns a knife, a baton, a weapon and a car” and does not attack Israelis “does not belong to Palestine.” | “Even he who owns nothing but his faith has a kitchen in his house in which he has a knife,” Fathi Hamad, a leader of Hamas, said in a Nov. 5 television interview. “He must grab his knife and confront the Zionist enemy.” In July, another Hamas official had said that “anyone who owns a knife, a baton, a weapon and a car” and does not attack Israelis “does not belong to Palestine.” |
| But some Israeli leaders also laid part of the blame on Mr. Netanyahu, who suffered several political setbacks over the past two days. A left-leaning member of his cabinet resigned in protest of his policy toward the Palestinians, and a conservative figure said he would challenge Mr. Netanyahu for chairmanship of the Likud Party. | But some Israeli leaders also laid part of the blame on Mr. Netanyahu, who suffered several political setbacks over the past two days. A left-leaning member of his cabinet resigned in protest of his policy toward the Palestinians, and a conservative figure said he would challenge Mr. Netanyahu for chairmanship of the Likud Party. |
| “This is the continuation of a weak stand in front of terrorism,” David Pearl, head of the council of Jewish settlements know as Gush Etzion, said on Army Radio. Shaul Mofaz, a centrist Parliament member and former defense minister, said Israel’s cabinet had been “stuttering” and reactive. | “This is the continuation of a weak stand in front of terrorism,” David Pearl, head of the council of Jewish settlements know as Gush Etzion, said on Army Radio. Shaul Mofaz, a centrist Parliament member and former defense minister, said Israel’s cabinet had been “stuttering” and reactive. |
| “This is not a lone attacker, this is now a security reality — one attack after another, car attacks, stabbing attacks, this is how an intifada begins,” Mr. Mofaz said in a radio interview, referring to previous Palestinian uprisings. “We must initiate,” he added. “Only the cabinet can do that, and until a decision is reached, this wave will only swell.” | “This is not a lone attacker, this is now a security reality — one attack after another, car attacks, stabbing attacks, this is how an intifada begins,” Mr. Mofaz said in a radio interview, referring to previous Palestinian uprisings. “We must initiate,” he added. “Only the cabinet can do that, and until a decision is reached, this wave will only swell.” |
| The suspect in the West Bank stabbing, Maher Hamdi al-Hashlamon, is 30, lives in Hebron and has two children, his relatives said. He served five years in prison for throwing firebombs at an Israeli military patrol and was released in 2005, the Israeli news site Ynet reported. | The suspect in the West Bank stabbing, Maher Hamdi al-Hashlamon, is 30, lives in Hebron and has two children, his relatives said. He served five years in prison for throwing firebombs at an Israeli military patrol and was released in 2005, the Israeli news site Ynet reported. |
| Mr. al-Hashlamon’s Facebook page included photos of Al Aqsa and of a Palestinian man who was wanted in connection with the attempted assassination of an activist promoting Jewish prayer at the site; Israeli forces killed the Palestinian man last month. “I’ll be a thorn in the gullet of the Zionist project to Judaize Jerusalem,” the Facebook page said. | Mr. al-Hashlamon’s Facebook page included photos of Al Aqsa and of a Palestinian man who was wanted in connection with the attempted assassination of an activist promoting Jewish prayer at the site; Israeli forces killed the Palestinian man last month. “I’ll be a thorn in the gullet of the Zionist project to Judaize Jerusalem,” the Facebook page said. |
| The Tel Aviv suspect, Nur al-Din Khaled Abu Hashieh, left school after ninth grade and had worked illegally in Israel, doing construction, as recently as two months ago, his father, Khaled, said in an interview. The elder Mr. Abu Hashieh said his son was not connected to any political party, and had gone to Tel Aviv on Sunday to look for work. | The Tel Aviv suspect, Nur al-Din Khaled Abu Hashieh, left school after ninth grade and had worked illegally in Israel, doing construction, as recently as two months ago, his father, Khaled, said in an interview. The elder Mr. Abu Hashieh said his son was not connected to any political party, and had gone to Tel Aviv on Sunday to look for work. |
| “He is not an activist or a nationalist, he thinks only about getting work,” the father said. “He can’t get a permit to work in Israel, so he sneaks into Israel.” | “He is not an activist or a nationalist, he thinks only about getting work,” the father said. “He can’t get a permit to work in Israel, so he sneaks into Israel.” |