While numerous commentators have described the ever-growing wave of murderous attacks on Israeli citizens as a third Palestinian intifada, Kobi Michael, Udi Dekel, and Assaf Orion argue that the term is not appropriate. They also have some suggestions about what Israel can do to prevent an actual third intifada:
At this stage, the stabbings and vehicle attacks are carried out by individual terrorists, and the shooting attacks are usually [the product of] local initiatives, with most of the Palestinian population uninvolved in the escalation processes. The masses have not taken to the streets, and no popular uprising—[the literal meaning of] intifada—is under way. The trend is one of transition from the logic of institutional operations to the logic of individual, local, and decentralized operations, based on the idea that the response to distress is independent, personal, or local. This is how a phenomenon of large-scale activity in many locales is created, similar to the process of disintegration of whole states in the Middle East in recent years. . . .
[In response], Israel must continue the security coordination with the Palestinian security agencies, and present unequivocal demands regarding those in Palestinian Authority (PA) territory engaged in terrorism and violence. Together with these coordination efforts, Israel should step up its campaign against terrorist groups in PA territory. It is also important to allow a number of Palestinian workers into Israel, as has recently been done, and not to halt the easing of restrictions on movement and trade. An arbitrary and indiscriminate hard line toward the Palestinian population will not serve the Israeli security interest, and is liable to increase the number of flash points.
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