Are Israeli-Palestinian troubles spiraling out of control?

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JUDY WOODRUFF:

Now fears of a third intifada in the Middle East.

A recent surge in attacks have left at least eight Israelis and 28 Palestinians dead, including many of the attackers themselves. After another deadly day, many are thinking the worst is yet to come.

NewsHour special correspondent Martin Seemungal reports from Jerusalem.

And a warning:

Some images may be disturbing.

MARTIN SEEMUNGAL:

Palestinians proclaimed it a day of rage, and a new string of attacks attested to the fury that's fueled nearly a month of stabbings and shootings.

Today, a pair of Palestinian men shot and stabbed passengers aboard this bus in Jerusalem. Police said two Israelis were killed, along with one of the attackers.

MICKY ROSENFELD, Spokesman, Israeli Police:

Two terrorists carried out an attack. One of them had a pistol. The second one had a knife. The terrorists were shot. One of them was shot and killed. The second one was shot and captured at the scene.

MARTIN SEEMUNGAL:

Within minutes, another assailant rammed his car into a crowded bus stop in an ultra-orthodox Jewish neighborhood in downtown Jerusalem. Then, he leapt out and hacked at bystanders with a cleaver, killing an Israeli man, before he was shot dead.

Meanwhile, north of Tel Aviv, two more stabbing attacks wounded five Israelis in Ra'anana. Several were in serious condition. Trouble also broke out across the West Bank, where hundreds of Palestinian youths confronted Israeli troops. Soldiers used tear gas and rubber bullets, but, in Bethlehem, the army said it shot and killed a Palestinian before he could toss a gasoline bomb.

In turn, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency security cabinet meeting, and condemned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Prime Minister, Israel (through interpreter):

I am calling on the head of the Palestinian Authority, Abu Mazen, to stop lying. Stop the incitement. A real leader must show responsibility. You must stop the incitement coming from the Palestinian Authority.

NABIL SHAATH, Senior Advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: Time is running out, and running out fast.

MARTIN SEEMUNGAL:

Nabil Shaath is a senior member of the ruling Fatah Party in the West Bank and an adviser to Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen.

NABIL SHAATH:

I know Abu Mazen and all the leadership is extremely alarmed and afraid of this going out of hand.

MARTIN SEEMUNGAL:

The upsurge in clashes between young Palestinians and Israeli soldiers has opened a heated debate: Is this a so called third intifada? And that's what Shaath is calling it.

NABIL SHAATH:

This intifada is totally unorganized, unplanned for. It is the natural and spontaneous reaction of people who cannot take Israeli despotism anymore.

MARTIN SEEMUNGAL:

The demonstrations near the Israeli checkpoints in Ramallah happen almost daily now.

Twenty-one-year-old Mahmoud Ayala attends most of them.

"I am ready to sacrifice my soul, my blood for Palestine," he says. "I want to be free."

Palestinians in the West Bank, in Gaza, are following events in Jerusalem. In a violent assault on a 13-year-old Jewish boy yesterday, the alleged attacker was also 13. According to police, he was hit by a car as he ran away.

A video surfaced showing the young teen on the ground, broken and bleeding. He was allegedly denied medical assistance. People can be heard on the video shouting obscenities at him. That video was widely seen on social media. It had a profound impact here on the streets of East Jerusalem, adding to the frustration and anger, creating even more tension between Palestinians and Israelis.

This Palestinian told us he was afraid these invitations might be mistaken for a knife in his pocket.

MAN:

I am afraid to see the soldier see like a knife, really, to shoot me.

MAN:

I'm worried. Yes, of course I'm worried for both of the peoples.

So, if I were to go to market, like we say, or go to any places, I'm afraid for some people to shout, this is Arabic people, and some security or government that didn't understand what the situation will be, they are afraid, they shoot the people without nothing.

MARTIN SEEMUNGAL:

You're afraid they would shoot you for no reason?

MAN:

No reason.

MARTIN SEEMUNGAL:

Just because you're Palestinian.

MAN:

Yes, just because I'm Palestinian.

MARTIN SEEMUNGAL:

The Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Temple Mount in the Old City are at the heart of what is happening. Al-Aqsa is the third holiest site in Islam. The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism.

David Horovitz says that, when Israel captured the Old City in 1967, it didn't want to provoke a war with Islam. Jews are not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount. But certain right-wing Israeli leaders have been pushing recently to change the so-called status quo.

DAVID HOROVITZ, The Times of Israel: The notion that Israel might be changing the arrangements there, which Israel says it is not going to do, has been utilized by people who want to stir up trouble. And we are now seeing the trouble.

MARTIN SEEMUNGAL:

Netanyahu accuses Palestinian and Israeli Arab leaders of stoking the violence with rumors that Jews are trying to take over Al-Aqsa. He's also stopped Jewish political visitors from visiting the site.

President Abbas has disavowed the violence, but has also called for Al-Aqsa to be defended from Israel. Jewish nationalists rallying today in the heart of West Jerusalem, a counterpoint to the fear, they call it a display of defiance against terror.

DANIEL LURIA, Settler leader: There are definitely some people who are thinking twice about where they're going. Most people will be looking around over their shoulder. We have to be more aware. It's not just a lone incident. We have got a lot of enemies even amongst us.

MARTIN SEEMUNGAL:

And then, suddenly, a Palestinian appears with an act of defiance of his own.

MAN:

There is nothing here. There's never been a Palestinian country here. There's never been a Palestinian country here.

MAN:

Thank you very much.

MARTIN SEEMUNGAL:

It was a heated debate, but it ended peacefully.

Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing to take aggressive action, calling up more soldiers, threatening to set up checkpoints in East Jerusalem. But there is great concern tonight that this recent cycle of violence is beyond the control of leaders on both sides — Judy.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

Martin Seemungal reporting for us from Jerusalem.

Late this evening, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he will travel to the region soon to help ease tensions.