Between March and May 2022, Israel experienced its worst wave of terrorism in over six years, with 19 Israelis killed and many more wounded in a number of shooting and stabbing attacks by Palestinian terrorists. While there was not a single thread connecting all of these attacks, three of the most deadly attacks were perpetrated by terrorists from the Jenin area in the northern West Bank.
The shooting attack in the central Israeli city of Bnei Brak (five killed), the shooting attack on Tel Aviv’s busy Dizengoff Street (two killed) and the ax attack in the central town of Elad on Israeli Independence Day (three killed) were all committed by terrorists from the Jenin area.
In response to the high number of terrorist attacks — both successful and failed — that originated in the area, the IDF has conducted several counter-terror operations in Jenin and its surrounding environs, many of which have led to drawn-out gun battles with heavily armed Palestinian fighters.
Even though consumers of the news have become more familiar with Jenin, particularly as it is referenced by the media more frequently, many are still left wondering why this mid-sized Palestinian city has become the epicenter of so much violence in the past year.
In this piece, we will take a look at the history of Jenin and its connection to Palestinian violence as well as analyze the threat that Jenin poses to the safety and security of both Israelis and Palestinians.
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Shootings, Bombings and Stabbings: How Jenin Became the “Martyrs’ Capital”
Jenin’s connection to Palestinian violence and terrorism began even before the creation of the State of Israel, during the Arab Revolt of 1936-1939. Since the British Mandatory government held weak control over Jenin during this time period, the area became known as a nest of anti-British and anti-Jewish activity and Jenin was one of the cities that made up the Arab triangle from which attacks were directed against Jewish communities in the Jezreel Valley.
In both 1948 and 1967, Arab armies used Jenin as a forward position from which to attack Israeli forces and civilian centers.
In 1953, the Jordanians established the Jenin refugee camp next to the city of Jenin for Palestinians who were displaced during the 1948 War of Independence (for the purposes of this article, “Jenin” will refer to both the city and the refugee camp).
After the Six Day War in 1967, Israel took control of Jenin and maintained it until 1996, when it came under the rule of the Palestinian Authority as part of the Oslo Accords.
Related Reading: Reality Check, Washington Post, AP: Jenin is the Epicenter of Palestinian Terrorism
During the Second Intifada, when Israel suffered a slew of deadly terrorist attacks across the country, Jenin gained notoriety as a hotbed of Palestinian terrorism.
The fact that over a third of the suicide bombing attacks against Israel during the Second Intifada originated from the Jenin area gained Jenin the nickname of “The Martyrs’ Capital.”
As an epicenter of Palestinian terrorism, Jenin was one of the main focuses of Israeli counter-terrorism activities during 2002’s Operation Defensive Shield, which featured intense battles between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian gunmen.
According to an analysis by Shany Mor and Joe Truzman, Jenin entered the Israeli psyche during this time as the site of a high number of IDF casualties and a trumped-up charge of a “massacre” while for the Palestinians, it became an icon of successful resistance, albeit with many Palestinian casualties.
Following the Second Intifada, Jenin entered an almost 15-year period of quiet and economic growth (with the occasional clash between Israelis and Palestinians).
According to Mor and Truzman, the quiet in Jenin was due to the strengthening of the local Palestinian Authority forces by the U.S. and Europe as well as the transfer of Israeli soldiers from manning checkpoints to effective anti-terror incursions into the city and its adjoining refugee camp.
In addition, the quiet brought significant economic growth to the region, propelled by Arab Israeli investment, the opening of the Arab American University, the transfer of goods between Jenin and pre-1967 Israel, and the rise in residents of Jenin finding work in other parts of Israel.
However, despite the relative calm and economic prosperity, the past two years have seen Jenin revert back to acting as the capital of Palestinian terrorism and violence.
Related Reading: HonestReporting Quick Guide: The Top 5 Terror Groups Threatening Israel’s Existence
The Wasps’ Nest: Jenin Today
Today, Jenin is home to a number of internationally recognized Palestinian terrorist organizations, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Hamas and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. Of these organizations, PIJ is the largest and strongest in the region.
While these organizations always existed in Jenin, their activity was limited during the 15 years of quiet. However, during the past two years, these organizations have taken an active role in supporting and organizing violent attacks against both Israeli soldiers and civilians.
What has occurred during the past two years to turn Jenin back into a hive of terrorist activity?
According to Mor and Truzman, a number of factors have contributed to the recent rise in terrorist activity in the Jenin area: The development of rivalries between different Palestinian factions as to who will succeed Mahmoud Abbas as leader of the Palestinian Authority, the 2021 Israeli operation against Hamas in Gaza, the escape of six Palestinian terrorists (all from the Jenin area) from Gilboa Prison in September 2021 and the rise in deadly clashes between Palestinian terrorists (many of whom were from Jenin) and Israeli forces in the latter half of 2021.
The last point is particularly relevant as it led to the founding of the Jenin Battalion. Formed in May 2021 and announced a few months later, the Jenin Battalion is affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad but also includes members from Hamas and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.
The Battalion was founded as a means of more effectively resisting Israeli anti-terrorism operations in the Jenin area. The Battalion is composed of a number of small cells that are controlled by a joint operations room (known colloquially as “the wasps’ nest”).
The joint operations room monitors the entry of Israeli forces into Jenin and then commands Battalion members via cellular communications (such as the Telegram application) and mosque loudspeakers to engage the IDF soldiers with gunfire, Molotov cocktails and IEDs. This leads to the protracted gunfights between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian gunmen that have been recently reported in the news (see here, here and here).
Related Reading: Al Jazeera Puts Terror Teen Front and Center in Mangled Report of IDF Raid to Capture Palestinian Islamic Jihad Commander
The Threat From Jenin to Israelis and Palestinians
With the rise in terrorism and violent exchanges between Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen in the Jenin area, both Israelis and Palestinians are facing a number of threats that directly affect their safety and security.
First, the surge in violent opposition by the Jenin Battalion to Israeli counter-terrorism operations in the region largely takes place in residential neighborhoods. As can be seen from the tragic death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh (who was killed while reporting on an Israeli counter-terrorism operation in Jenin in May), the crossfire between the IDF and the Battalion directly threatens the lives of non-combatants in the surrounding area.
Second, the popularity of the Battalion among the local residents of Jenin has inspired terrorist organizations in other West Bank communities to adopt its organizational strategy and modus operandi. Already, terrorists in Nablus, Tulkarm and Bethlehem have adopted the Jenin Battalion’s model. In Nablus, members of this newly-formed Battalion have attacked Israeli soldiers and civilians visiting the nearby Tomb of Joseph.
If the Jenin Battalion’s methods continue to be replicated, this could increase the threat of harm to both Israeli and Palestinian civilians across the West Bank.
Lastly, the rise in terrorist attacks originating in Jenin will threaten the safety and security of Israelis across the country but will also harm non-combatant Palestinians living in Jenin, who will be forced to endure IDF operations aimed at rooting out the terrorists responsible for each attack.
🔴 Israel’s security community are warning of a dramatic increase of terror threat alerts. Hundreds of alerts have been received, more than this time last year. Most coming from Jenin and Shechem.
Israelis are being asked to be vigilant, and call 100 if they see anything.
— Chaim • حاييم • חיים (@ChaimSmierc) September 11, 2022
When reporting on Jenin, news organizations must ensure they convey the full truth to their readers and viewers: Jenin is a hotbed of Palestinian terrorism that threatens stability in both Israel and the West Bank. What’s more, Jenin will never change unless the terrorists who hide there are rooted out.
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Terrorists – Majdi Fathi via TPS
