Even with harsh measures in place, Palestinians still defying Israel

JERUSALEM—Israel pressed ahead with major security measures on Sunday after five more stabbing incidents, while ultra-Orthodox Jews illegally visiting a West Bank holy site set ablaze last week were assaulted by Palestinians.

The incident at the holy site and the stabbing attacks on Saturday came after more than two weeks of relentless violence and unrest, raising fears of a full-scale Palestinian uprising.

Israel has set up checkpoints in Palestinian areas of east Jerusalem, where many of the knife attackers have come from. But frustrated youths have defied efforts to prevent violence.

Most of the attackers have been young Palestinians wielding knives and believed to be acting on their own, likely knowing they will probably be killed.

Including alleged assailants, 41 Palestinians have been killed since an upsurge in violence began on Oct. 1, while seven Israelis have lost their lives.

Violent protests have also erupted in an- nexed east Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

On Saturday, four Palestinians were shot dead and a fifth was wounded in attacks on Israelis in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.

The violence since the start of the month has drawn deep international concern.

“We are very concerned about the outbreak of violence,” US President Barack Obama said in Washington on Friday. He called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas “to try to tamp down rhetoric that may feed violence or anger or misunderstanding.”

Abbas has been under pressure for making comments that some consider to be provocative. He called for peaceful protests without explicitly condemning the violence.

But on Friday, Abbas condemned the arson attack on Joseph’s Tomb, a West Bank site which is holy to Jews.

The violence started in September when Israeli forces and Palestinian youths clashed repeatedly at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem.