A sad turning point

Palestinian terrorist Saadi Ali Abu Hamed's attempt to murder unarmed security guard Tzvika Cohen with an ax at the entrance to a shopping mall in Maaleh Adumim deviated from the usual pattern of the recent wave of Palestinian knife terror.

Abu Hamed and Cohen were acquaintances who worked together and often chatted over a cup of coffee. When they looked at each other, they saw a familiar face and heard a familiar voice.

There is quite a difference between murdering an anonymous enemy, which is wrong in and of itself, and waving an ax to kill someone whose name and address you know well. Not that there is any justification for killing a stranger in the town square, but if Abu Hamed's outburst against Cohen was not a unique occurrence, it indicates a clear escalation in this strange intifada -- a step closer to behaving like animals.

Cohen's family is no stranger to Palestinian terror. His brother was seriously wounded in a stabbing attack in 2000. Therefore, it is natural for this family to voice disappointment at the terrorist's arrest (rather than paying with his life). While he is in Israeli custody, he will not be harmed, and he is likely to mock the Cohen family during his trial, when they come to witness justice being done. It is painful, but there is no other way.

The terrorism in Maaleh Adumim may prove to be a turning point in the relations along the entire delicate meeting point between Jews and Arabs. People from both sides of the Green Line have been sharing social and economic services, working together and creating encouraging personal relationships, and even though allegations of harassment have come up, an attack like this has never happened before.

Will this attack increase the mistrust felt by Israeli Jews working with Palestinians at restaurants, where sharp knives are used? Is there a gloomier significance to the inevitable decision, made after the incident, to ban Palestinians from entering Maaleh Adumim? Unfortunately, the answer is undoubtedly yes.

Fear, which is such a vital component in maintaining vigilance, is also the catalyst for the growing alienation between the two sides, conscious or subconscious. Every event like this one raises many questions over the existing policy, which distinguishes between knife-wielding terrorists and the rest of the Palestinian population, most of which does not engage in terrorism.

Nevertheless, the policy of restraint is the right one to adhere to, despite the heart's inclination to act more forcefully following the grim outcome of the Maaleh Adumim terror attack. Indeed, such an urge must be resisted. But as the wave of terrorism continues to escalate, the government will find it difficult to maintain the policy of restraint it has adopted since the first stabbing attack.

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