Yonah Jeremy Bob
Jerusalem Post, Nov. 28, 2024
“2024 has been a stark failure in restoring security and order compared with almost every other year in the past decade.”
Closing in on five months into his role as commander of IDF Central Command, with responsibility for the West Bank, is the area more or less safe than before Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth took on the job?
There are no clear answers, and there is contrary evidence pointing in both directions, depending on which anecdotal evidence you focus on and how you measure the impact of outside factors. But Bluth has definitely already put his own stamp on the role.
In judging his success or failure, the analysis – and The Jerusalem Post has checked in with a variety of sources and data on both sides – needs to look at various factors: Are levels of Palestinian terrorism against Israelis in the West Bank up or down? Are levels of Jewish extremist violence against Palestinians up or down? Is the law regarding illegal building by both sides being enforced? What is the general perception of whether there is order?
According to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC), there has been no real change in serious Palestinian terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria since Bluth took over on July 8 from his predecessor, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yehuda Fuchs.
During July, there were 12 terrorist attacks, up from eight in May and five in June. There were 10 in August, six in September, and eight in October, the center reported. …SOURCE
