Over 300 significant attacks foiled so far this year, Shin Bet chief says

“We foiled 312 significant terrorist attacks, stabbings, shootings, suicide attacks, and have made 2,110 arrests” since the beginning of the year, Bar said at a conference at Herzliya’s Reichman University.

At the same time, Bar cited a massive increase in shooting attacks against troops in the West Bank — 130 this year so far, compared to just 98 in 2021, and 19 in 2020.

Bar said Israel is required to boost its activity in the West Bank to foil further attacks, and that troops operating there are “a protective blanket” for Israelis.

Last week, Israel Occupation Forces (IOF) chief of staff Aviv Kohavi slammed the PA for its inability to govern areas in the northern West Bank, where troops have repeatedly come under gunfire during nightly raids.

The IOF ramped up its raids in the West Bank after a series of deadly attacks that killed 19 people between mid-March and the beginning of May.

Bar also noted that Israel’s lack of political stability in recent years and increasing internal discord have encouraged terror groups and individuals to commit attacks.

“From the intelligence that we have read, from the investigations of attackers we have conducted, and also from many years of familiarity with our adversaries, wherever they are, we can say today without a shadow of a doubt, the political instability, the growing internal division… are an encouragement to the axis of evil, to the terror organizations and individual attackers,” Bar said.

He said the “deep rift that is developing within Israeli society” is the “most complex” challenge it is facing.

Turning to Iran, Bar claimed the Islamic Republic was an “underlying problem” in the Middle East.