Israel Gave Up Sovereignty in Arab Cities. Everyone Paid the Price

The biggest surprise in recent events occurred inside the Green Line even more than in Gaza. Neither the National Security Council, the Israel Police nor the Shin Bet predicted the intensity of the violent outburst among Arabs in Israel. Concern has been expressed in recent years over the plethora of weapons in Arab communities, the rise in organized-crime families and the surge in the number of murders using firearms. But the worst-case scenario spoke about the use of weapons by lone terrorists to launch attacks during a flare-up in the territories. No one foresaw pitched battles in the streets of the mixed cities, mutual mob attacks and the torching of homes and synagogues.