Haaretz correspondant: Israeli security policy in Jerusalem is futile

Nir Hasson, a correspondant for Haaretz, on Sunday condemned the "futility" of Israeli policy in Jerusalem:

"When asked what would have an impact on the terrorists’ motivation, security officials are in agreement that the issue of the status of the Temple Mount and the belief that Israel plans to change the status quo there are a decisive factor, as is demonstrated over and over on terrorists’ Facebook pages. Such a belief has no basis in fact. It would never occur to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to change the status quo barring Jews from praying on the Temple Mount, but it still has deep roots in the worldview of the Palestinian public. Terrorists don’t need Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to tell them this from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly. All they need is to see pictures of Israeli police on the mount (even though the Muslim religious trust, the Waqf, has day-to-day administrative control of the Temple Mount).

"So what can be done? In another universe, even less than an ideal one, with another Israeli government, it would have been possible to propose far-reaching suggestions; for example, permitting a symbolic Arab presence (in uniform, for instance) on the mount to prove Israel’s seriousness in maintaining the status quo. In a slightly better universe, it would have been possible to suggest a return to peace talks and even send a message to young Palestinians that there is a different diplomatic horizon. In our world, however, it seems we will have to make do with another emergency meeting of cabinet ministers and more police on Hagai Street."