Less than a month after it was established, the right-wing "full-on" government of Netanyahu-Smotrich-Ben Gabir finds itself in its first, explosive and extremely complex security test.
Although the wave of terrorism began during the days of the previous government, about 11 months ago, the weekend attacks, and especially the attack in Neve Ya'akov, proved that the escalation is not going anywhere, but the opposite.
Already on Saturday night, shortly after the attack, the security establishment realized that the "success" might lead to copycat attacks, inspired by the same terrorist who succeeded in murdering seven Israelis in cold blood.
The police announced an immediate increase in vigilance, and the IDF also announced that it would increase forces in Yosh.
But the reinforcements and alertness failed to prevent another serious attack yesterday morning.
The security system did not have advance information about the attacks over the weekend, but after large IDF forces entered the heart of the Jenin refugee camp on Thursday, to stop a terrorist cell that was defined as a "ticking bomb", it was already clear that we had a complex weekend ahead of us.
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During the operation in Jenin, no fewer than nine Palestinians were killed, most of them from armed terrorists.
It can only be assumed that he knew that the situation would develop this way, it is not certain that they would have acted in the same way.
The IDF stated, on the other hand, that this was a necessary action.
As expected, in view of the high number of casualties, the terrorist organizations immediately threatened revenge, and in response the Islamic Jihad, with the approval of Hamas, fired seven rockets at Israel, four of which were intercepted and the others exploded in open areas.
Hamas, for its part, "participated in the celebration" when it announced that it fired anti-aircraft missiles at air force aircraft, which attacked in response to the rockets being fired at Israel.
Explosive period
In Israel it is estimated that Hamas has no interest in escalating now, but the Israeli intelligence organizations have been indicating for a long time that the terrorist organization is inciting terrorism in Judea and Samaria.
Whether the terrorists from East Jerusalem acted at the direction of Hamas or not, the attacks during the weekend are exactly what the terrorist organizations that called for revenge wanted to achieve.
Beyond revenge, they would like that the next time Israel thinks of entering the hornet's nest in the Jenin refugee camp, it will remember this weekend and hesitate.
Prime Minister Netanyahu at the scene of the attack in Neve Yaakov, photo: Reuters
One way or another, there is no evidence of the involvement of the terrorist organizations in the specific attacks of the weekend.
If these are individual terrorists, past experience shows that the most effective actions against them are extensive deployment of forces in the field and proper preparation, as well as increased intelligence gathering by the Shin Bet.
Tonight, as Shabbat ended, the political-security cabinet convened for an emergency discussion.
On the agenda: massive reinforcement of forces, immediate sealing of terrorists' houses, arrest of their families, promotion of family deportation law, and more.
But when Smotrich and Ben Gvir are in such significant key positions, it is doubtful whether it will be possible to be satisfied with that.
Suffice it to mention that despite being a Shabbat observant, shortly after the massacre in Neve Ya'akov, Itamar Ben Gabir arrived at the scene of the attack, this time as Minister of National Security, and not as another provocateur on duty.
The honorable minister corrected the chants of "death to the Arabs" that were heard there, and which he had uttered himself in the past, to "death to the terrorists".
Following him, Prime Minister Netanyahu, who not long ago arrived at the scene of terrorist attacks, arrived at the scene a short time later, under heavy security.
The Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gabir, at the scene of the attack in Neve Yaakov in Jerusalem, photo: Reuters
There is no doubt.
The attacks are very difficult.
The heart breaks, the blood boils.
But the decisions regarding the continuation of the security measures must be made from the head, not from the stomach.
Calmly, in a balanced way, in a way that will calm the area, and not expand the circle of violence.
Even so, a complex and explosive period is ahead of us, especially when in a few weeks the month of Ramadan, prone to calamities, will be celebrated.
It seems that the coming days will prove if indeed the well-known saying, according to which what you see from here you don't see from there - will also apply to the duo Ben Gabir and Smotrich.
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