The three victims in the past two days have brought the number of civilian terrorism fatalities since the beginning of the year to the highest level in a decade. In 2014, 36 civilians and soldiers were killed in non-combat terror attacks (during Operation Protective Edge, 75 soldiers and civilians were killed).
The graph presents the number of fatalities in terrorism incidents during the Second Intifada and a decline following Operation Defensive Shield (2006 excludes the soldiers killed in the Second Lebanon War). Throughout Netanyahu's years in power, he maintained relatively low terrorism fatality numbers, with an increase following Operation Protective Edge and the subsequent wave of terrorism. However, it appears that there was a decrease until 2020, which was the best year with only 3 fatalities. Unfortunately, since then, the situation has reversed to our dismay.
In 2021, Netanyahu boasted about 12 months without any attacks (and the day after, a soldier was killed on the Gaza border). However, since then, it seems that there is hardly a week without a fatality. A year since that incident, the government of Bennett and Lapid took over. Netanyahu formed the right-wing government just a day before 2023, and since then, the numbers of casualties continue to rise.
In 2021, there were already 18 fatalities, in 2022 (during the Bennett-Lapid government), the number rose to 29 fatalities, and this year the count has crossed another threshold, reaching 34 casualties. It's important to note that we are only in the month of August, and there are still four and a half months left in 2023.
This government must go home
In the archives of the members of the government, who were members of the opposition only a year ago, it is possible to discover slogans that were thrown into the air for which masses of right-wing voters came out to vote for them only 10 months ago.
The opposition leader at the time, and the current Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, tweeted during the tenure of Bennett: "Today, Hamas sees a weak government that relies on supporters of terror and is incapable of fighting terrorism, of striking at senior Hamas officials, and of restoring quiet and security to the citizens of Israel. There is no reason to wait for the next attack. This government must go home. We must immediately establish a strong national government led by Netanyahu that will restore quiet and security to the citizens of Israel."
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also did not spare his cries from the benches of the opposition where he served less than a year ago. After the trampling attack at the Almog junction, in which 5 soldiers were injured, Smotrich wanted to give a reminder to right-wing voters about what exactly they are going to the polls for. In a tweet he posted, he wrote: "An attack follows an attack. This is what a loss of security looks like. Day after day, Jews are persecuted in our country by terrorists, this time it's happening at Almog Junction. That's what the elections are for in two days' time! Go vote so that, with God's help, we will defeat terrorism and restore personal security, deterrence and national pride. A speedy recovery for those injured in the attack."
Another tweet was made by Minister Itamar Ben Gvir when he was in the opposition after the attack in Hadera in March 2022. "Jewish blood is not to be abandoned! Another attack and another attack and the heart can no longer contain the amount of sorrow and destruction. We said and warned: a government that depends on the Islamic movement will end up seriously harming the security of the country. Until when will we become trampled? How long will the lack of governance and reaction be celebrated. Bennett, this is too much for you. Go!"
