40% drop in Arab terror in Jerusalem after Israeli crackdown

Despite warnings from the security establishment, terrorism in Jerusalem plummeted last year following a major Israeli crackdown in eastern Jerusalem, dubbed Operation Defensive Shield 2.

By World Israel News Staff

The number of terrorist incidents and other security disturbances carried out by Arabs in Jerusalem fell dramatically last year following a crackdown by police in eastern Jerusalem, according to a report by the state comptroller.

In early 2023, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ordered police to launch a major counter-terror sweep in eastern Jerusalem, following a terrorist attack in the capital which left three people dead.

The crackdown, dubbed Operation Defensive Shield 2 – named after an IDF operation in Judea and Samaria during the Second Intifada – involved mass arrests carried out by Border Police targeting 150 terrorists in Jerusalem who were already identified by the Shin Bet security agency.

Furthermore, the operation included beefed-up law enforcement activities across multiple neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem and isolating the Arab neighborhood of Isawiya, a terrorist hotspot.

Then-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar pushed back on the plan, criticizing Ben-Gvir’s proposal, warning that it could lead to a major escalation in Jerusalem.

“Your operation creates a sense on the ground of collective harassment; it agitates Jerusalem and could lead to a broad escalation at this sensitive time,” Bar said last February.

However, according to data collected by the state comptroller, the 2023 operation was followed by a sharp decline in every category of security disturbance in the capital.

In 2023, a total of 1,909 terrorist incidents and security disturbances were reported by Border Police in the Jerusalem sector.

During the first half of 2024, just 563 incidents were reported, marking a 41% reduction in the rate per month of security incidents.

The decline was reported in every category of security disturbance.

The rate of incidents involving the illegal use of fireworks – including as a weapon – fell by 30%, with 181 cases in 2023 compared to 63 in the first half of 2024.

Stone-throwing attacks fell by 42%, from 1,031 in 2023 to 300 in the first half of 2024, while the number of incidents involving bombs plummeted by 73.5%, from 98 in 2023 to 13 in the first half of 2024.

The rate of fire-bombing attacks fell by 22%, while the rate of shooting attacks on security personnel declined by a whopping 80%.

There were also far fewer terrorist attacks, dropping from 27 in 2023 to 4 in the first half of 2024, marking a 70% decline in the rate of attacks.