Today's bulldozer attack in Jerusalem is the second of its kind in the West Bank this month. After the previous July 2nd attack, I wrote a post suggesting that this could be part of an emerging trend in the area, whereby groups/individuals may be employing low-tech and non-traditional forms of terrorism to counter the security environment. While no group has claimed responsibility for today's attack, the incident further encourages us to consider if there is indeed a developing trend.
According to Al-Jazeera's reporting, today's attack took place close to the hotel where Barack Obama is due to stay during his visit, the area around which has subsequently witnessed heightened security measures in recent days. Ironically, the first to respond to the incident was a civilian licensed to carry a firearm, not the police.
It's worth noting that the resources that enable one to undertake such an attack are perhaps too diffuse for the authorities to completely control or monitor, even in the West Bank. The fact that the perpetrators of these attacks had the ability to move freely within Israel and the Occupied Territories also suggests that this type of threat cannot be countered by increased restrictions/closures at entry points into the West Bank.
If this trend takes on a political face it would raise some interesting questions, such as: Is there an effective way to counter this type of threat? And, would it enable second-tier terrorist groups, ones that don't possess significant resources, to compete for the limelight?
