Israeli troops are moving to lock down Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem today, amid a wave of stabbing attacks by Palestinians against Israelis and escalating violence by Israeli forces in the Occupied Territories. This comes as Israeli soldiers killed a Palestinian protester in the West Bank city of Bethlehem Tuesday. In total, at least 29 Palestinians and seven Israelis have been killed in the last two weeks. Human Rights Watch said the lockdown measures in Jerusalem will increase tension.

Sari Bashi: “The recent wave of attacks against Israeli civilians would challenge any police force, but locking down Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem is the wrong response. The checkpoints will restrict the freedom of movement of all residents, not just suspected attackers. And given the history of abuse and neglect by Israeli authorities in East Jerusalem, it’s only going to exacerbate tensions between residents and police. It’s exactly what we don’t need.”