ISIS winds are blowing this way

Don't worry, the Islamic State group still hasn't made it to Israel and there are no signs that the angry young people seeking out Jews to slaughter with their knives are affiliated with the group or acting on its behalf.

There is no doubt, however, that the organization's evil spirit, the spirit of radicalism and madness that it and other like-minded groups espouse, is the tailwind and perhaps even the cause of the terror wave hitting us in recent days. As is the way with extremism, whether in our immediate area or around us, it uses its net, and the Internet for that matter, to entice youngsters who are prepared to do anything, even sacrifice their lives, for it.

After all, Israel is not alone in a jungle and even if it were possible to surround it with security barriers to prevent illegal infiltrators, terror cells or enemy soldiers from entering, it is difficult if not impossible to stop the virus of radical madness that has washed over the Middle East from spreading. The Internet is the primary carrier of these germs of madness, nesting in societies and countries lacking in antibodies. Indeed, all around us, all hell is breaking loose.

Islamist extremists are in control of large swaths of Syria, Iraq and Libya, and are perpetrating, in the name of Allah, atrocities against minority ethnic groups and against their own people. It comes as no surprise that many people across the globe mistakenly believe that the Syrian dictator, Bashar Assad, whose crimes allegedly pale in comparison to those committed by Islamic State, is a preferable option to these groups. Egypt too is experiencing a wave of unprecedented terror attacks, and similar waves are also hitting Turkey and Tunisia, each attack leaving dozens of casualties in its wake. It is all happening in the name of Islam.

It is naive to think this evil spirit won't reach us and plant roots among the restless youths in the Palestinian territories, maybe even in the Israeli Arab population as well. Indeed, throughout the Arab and Muslim world similar youngsters are flocking by the hundreds and thousands to fill the ranks of the jihadist groups fighting in Syria and Iraq.

The wave of violence is further evidence that the Palestinian nationalist movement is in decline, appears to have lost its relevance and has perhaps even reached the end of its historical road. This movement, yet again, is unable to mobilize the masses with its call to liberate Palestine. In this regard Palestinians are moving backward almost a hundred years to the days of Jerusalem Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini, who in the name of an alleged danger to Al-Aqsa led the Arab revolt of the 1930s, which culminated, incidentally, in a resounding historical failure that catalyzed the ruin of Palestinian society.

The fact is that neither the Palestinian Authority nor Hamas are behind the eruption of violence. It also appears they have very minimal influence over the people for which they claim to be speaking. Meanwhile, they are trying their hardest to exploit the situation, dancing on the blood of those incited youth shot trying to stab Jews, while of course extracting any possible political gain. This also applies, despite the obvious differences, to Arab MKs, whom no one outside of the Israeli media sees as leaders worth listening to, certainly no one in the Arab-Israeli street.

Thus, devoid of direction and in light of the secular nationalist movement's decline, along with the lack of decent leadership, the winds of extremism are blowing unhindered and are setting the tone. In a reality such as this, it is hard to curb radicalism and prevent it from settling in the hearts and minds of the people.

Israel, however, is not Syria or Iraq. It is not a failed state and does not function without institutions and systems of governance. Israeli society as well, despite the criticism, is not a failed or splintered society. It is a strong society in which all its parts and all its various sectors -- including the Arab sector -- are partners in the effort to maintain and strengthen it. We need to understand the significance of the terror wave hitting us, and to understand that there is no magical solution to the lone-wolf attacker who wakes in the morning and decides to kill people in the name of God. We need to realize that this form of extremism cannot be stopped by concrete walls and metal fences, but only through determination and fortitude, our real security barrier.

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