The murder of the Fogel family

The murder of the Fogel family brought to an end the lull Israel has enjoyed over the past two years. Palestinian terrorism struck again, in the most sensitive spot of the West Bank: the mother of all isolated settlements, on a ridge over Nablus, its radical inhabitants infamous for their violent relations with their Palestinian neighbors. No spot is more emblematic of the conflict and friction in the territories than Itamar.

Whoever planned and carried out the attack sought to shake up the status quo, which has been working for Israel. The quiet allowed Israelis on both sides of the Green Line to live prosperously and pretend there simply was no conflict. The Palestinians and the settlers were perceived by Israelis as public-relations issues, nuisances in the relations with the United States and Europe, not key problems that needed to be taken care of. All this has changed.