Two attacks occurred in Israel on Thursday, November 19, that left five dead, including three Israelis, one Palestinian, and one 18-year-old Jewish American tourist. In the major city of Tel Aviv, a Palestinian from the West Bank stabbed three Israelis who were attending mid-day prayers and killed two of them. A few hours later, in Gush Etzion, a Jewish settlement in the West Bank, a Palestinian terrorist opened fire into a traffic jam, killing an Israeli, a Palestinian, and an 18-year-old American tourist. A third attack was prevented that same day when three Palestinian women were caught at an Israeli checkpoint wielding knives. Hamas and Palestinians have increasingly attacked Israel in recent weeks. This heightened tension stems from the issue of rumors that Israel would be changing the governing rules over the holy site in Jerusalem holding the Western Wall and the Al-Aqsa mosque, rumors which Israel has denied but that have led to many Israeli and Palestinian deaths since September.

The attacks come within a week of those in Paris, and while the attacks in Israel are not of the same magnitude, they have hit home for many Israelis and Jews around the world. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in the aftermath of these attacks that “whoever condemned the attacks in France needs to condemn the attacks in Israel. It’s the same terror.” In both attacks, there was one American killed. Nohemi Gonzales, killed in Paris, and Ezra Shwartz, killed in the West Bank, are two more victories for the jihad against the United States, as well as two very unfortunate examples of Americans being killed around the world by fanatical Islamic terrorists.

While the attacks were no doubt inspired by the rumors of the rule changes in Jerusalem, the attacks were also an example of Hamas in competition with ISIS. The two groups are, in fact, hostile towards each other, and cooperate very little on their activities. In reaction to the horror that occurred in Paris, Hamas may threaten to increase its attacks on the West, starting with Israel. All democratic countries should be on alert, and all democratic countries should be joining the fight against terror. It is very unfortunate for what happened in both Paris and Israel, but this may be the reality which we will have to conform to until we eliminate the threat of Islamic terror and reduce their capabilities to terrorize and overwhelm the world in which we live in.