For the past several weeks, Israel has faced brutal terrorist attacks by Palestinians.

Palestinians and Israelis have been in conflict for decades — a result of both territorial disputes and cultural differences. However, these recent attacks have been among the worst ones since 2016, resulting in the murder of over a dozen civilians.

In one of these attacks, a Palestinian man drove into an Israeli cyclist and killed him before proceeding to stab three more civilians. In another, a gunman opened fire in a Tel Aviv bar and killed three people.

Israel has since retaliated against the attacks. This common trend suggests that Israeli violence is merely a response to Palestinian violence, while the Palestinian attacks are more random and act primarily with the goal of harming Israel and its citizens.

“The situation has gotten completely out of control and has become an excuse for terrorism,” said junior Eliana Sadykov.

Rather than purposely engage in offensive attacks, Israel is currently making an effort to improve the Palestinian way of life, giving Palestinians work permits to work in Israel, allowing them to build houses in the West Bank, and allowing women, children, and men to pray in the holy city of Jerusalem during the month of Ramadan. However, these efforts are being thwarted due to these brutal terrorist attacks. 

Many believe that Israel has unfairly been framed as the initiator of this violence by enemies, and even allies, in the surrounding area. Junior Gili Gavriel had a strong stance on the issue, “I’m Israeli and the situation makes me so upset. People are dying on both sides, and Israel keeps being blamed as the attacker.”

 If there is any hope for attaining peace between Israelis and Palestinians, a wise first step would be to use diplomacy, rather than violence and terrorism, as a tool for change.