The Shin Bet's Handling of Lone Wolf Terrorism

ABSTRACT: The events that came to be known in Israel as “Godel Ha’Sha’ah” (The 2015-16 wave of terror by individuals) were marked by an unusual pattern of “lone wolf” attacks carried out by young Palestinians unaffiliated to any terrorist group. Drawing inspiration from one another, these small cells and individuals planned and executed stabbing, shooting and vehicular terror attacks. This change to terrorism is rooted in a regional context in which the traditional political leadership of the Middle East, as well as the economic, social, religious and political situation of the Palestinians, have been undermined. The threat of lone wolves places a huge and unexpected intelligence challenge on the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet). The threat has forced the Shin Bet to expand its traditional sphere of expertise, and to begin to operate in new arenas – the internet and social media – while cooperating more with the other institutions charged with the state’s security in order to allow for the warning, deterrence and defeat of terror.

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