13-year-old terrorists inspired by TikTok, Israeli minister warns

Religious Zionism MK warns that inciters on social media who glorify terrorism must pay a heavy price for their actions.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

A string of recent terrorist attacks carried out by perpetrators who were 13 and 14-years-old can be directly linked to rampant incitement on TikTok, where videos lionizing terrorists and glorifying deadly attacks are widely popular among Arab Israelis and Palestinian youth.

On Monday, a 14-year-old Arab from the Shuafat neighborhood in eastern Jerualem stabbed a 17-year-old Jewish boy in the back at the Chain Gate, just outside of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The victim, who has not been identified, was listed as being in “good condition” at a local hopsital. The perpetrator was arrested.

Less than two hours later, a 13-year-old Arab boy, also from Shuafat, fatally stabbed a Border Patrol officer who was carrying out a routine inspection on a bus. The Border Patrol officer was also hit by friendly fire from a colleague and later died. The perpetrator was taken into custody and not injured in the incident.

In late January 2023, just one day after the Jerusalem synagogue massacre left seven Israelis dead, a 13-year-old terrorist shot a father and son near the Western Wall. The son, an off-duty IDF officer, managed to return fire and strike the attacker.

Both father and son were hospitalized after the attack, with the father being released after just a few days. The son is still listed as being in critical condition. The young terrorist survived his wounds, though it’s unclear if he’s hospitalized or currently being held by security forces.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also serves as a minister regarding Palestinian affairs and Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria within the Ministry of Defense, took to Twitter on Tuesday to raise the alarm about terror attacks inspired by social media.

Young teens “who go out to murder Jews just because they are Jews are not lone threats. They grow up in a violent and incitement-filled society that brainwashes them with hatred of Israel,” Smotrich wrote.

“This needs to be addressed. [Those who] incite in prisons, in schools and on social media must pay a heavy price… to create deterrence. [There needs to be a cost] for incitement. This is our urgent duty,” he added.

Jerusalem police arrested four Palestinian youth on Monday who had posted videos on TikTok praising terrorists and encouraging future attacks, Walla News reported.

“We take seriously any act of incitement, threats, support for terrorist organizations and terrorists or [videos that state users] identify with them,” the police said in a media statement.

“We will continue to act against those suspects everywhere, including such acts that will be carried out in the social networks and media.”