We're going through some very uneasy days. Too many citizens are being attacked in a very short amount of time. There is no solace and comfort in the fact that we've been through this movie before. The fact that the attacks during the Second Intifada and in the wake of the Oslo Accords were far bigger, more horrific and much deadlier is also not comforting. No one wants to die, and no one wants to be hurt. The Israeli citizen wants peace, wants to buy cheap cottage cheese, but mostly wants security. It is his fundamental right. The State of Israel was established, among other things, for precisely this purpose. It didn't take long for us to understand that the Middle East and peace is an oxymoron, and that wars and conflicts are to be expected as a part of life; but we've also come to see that security in the Middle East is actually possible. When there are terror attacks, or when rockets are launched at us, one's sense of security is impaired. It's only natural. Against the rockets from Gaza last summer, the Iron Dome system met expectations: Not only did it neutralize the rockets fired by Hamas, but it also bolstered the Israeli citizen's sense of security, Jew and Arab alike, essentially protecting those same people currently carrying out stabbing attacks. Intercepting a rocket takes seconds and within minutes we could know an attack was over. A different type of Iron Dome is now needed to ensure our safety against the lone wolf attacker. And it's possible. Neither technology nor engineers nor a large budget are necessary. The only thing needed is a massive army and police presence on the ground. This other Iron Dome needs to treat every attacker as if he or she were a rocket. For this to happen only one decision needs to be made, and that's to call up reserves. Saturday's decision to call up 13 Border Police reservist companies is a step in the right direction, but it's unclear it will suffice. The presence of security personnel at bus and train stations, in the streets of Jerusalem and at certain flashpoints across the country will give the people a sense of security and, we can only hope, deter potential attackers. In the terrorist attacks until now we have seen quick and courageous responses from policemen, soldiers and civilians. Here too, every threat was "intercepted" within minutes. But it is not the job of the civilian to defend himself against terrorism. And while the Israeli citizen is indeed worthy of commendation, it's best that citations be kept inside the army. In Ankara, Turkey on Saturday one coordinated terrorist attack left almost 100 people dead. This is the global reality in which we live. Terror has become the most popular weapon of our time. Perhaps this is why the international media is so worked up about what segments of the local press have rushed to call a third intifada. Not a single continent or place on earth today is immune from terror; certainly not Europe or America, nor Africa and not even Australia. You know what? Maybe Antarctica is safe. But there a person is liable to freeze to death anyway. There is nowhere truly safe today. Therefore, if we must live with danger, then all the better we do it here at home, in our own country. With a superb army such as ours, however, it's possible to minimize the threat significantly. We've been doing it for years. But for this to happen one conclusion needs to be reached, and that's to call up the reserves. A presence everywhere In the 1990s, I was a reporter in Paris. I remember the terrorist attacks in the heart of the City of Lights. The immediate response was to boost the army and police presence in the streets. I returned to Paris in January of this year to cover the wave of terrorist attacks there. The army was once again deployed in the streets, as is customary when terrorist attacks have occurred or when the threat level is still high. The same was done in London, in Spain and in New York. Israelis know exactly where they are living. They are also cognizant of the incitement and lies (such as " the violation of the status quo" on the Temple Mount) being disseminated by the Palestinian Authority, the Islamic Movement, and Arab Knesset members, which is why the public isnt complaining to the government about the lack of negotiations and concessions to the Palestinians. Anyone talking about these things today is a tad irrelevant. It's still too early to know where this terror wave is headed. In such a situation, it's best to be strong everywhere, at all points, across the entire country.
