Arab rioters (file)
Arab rioters (file)Flash 90

Former senior Shabak (Israel Security Agency) officer Menahem Landau on Friday warned that attempts to ignore the "silent intifada" plaguing Jerusalem and continue as if nothing happened will only encourage more terror attacks.

Landau spoke to Arutz Sheva about the situation after a Hamas terrorist wounded nine people in Jerusalem with his car Wednesday, murdering a three-month-old baby and critically wounding an 18-year-old seminary girl.

"We are witnesses to the fact that this business has not stopped for three months already, and the more they succeed (in attacks) it will entice more and more terrorist attackers," said Landau. "They see there isn't a strong hand on our side, so they will continue."

The statement comes a day after a Border Patrol officer serving in Jerusalem complained "our hands our tied," revealing the police have been limited from above in their ability to quash the terrorism gripping the capital.

According to Landau, Jerusalem Police need to exercise a strong arm against the Arab rioters: "it can't be that they are shooting fireworks at officers and they just disperse them, why don't they give them a quick judgment and arrest them?"

Outlining his suggestion for greater enforcement, the former senior Shabak officer added "give them fines all around, also against minors throwing rocks at the light rail, put undercover officers everywhere. The policy of a soft hand hasn't proven itself. There is a wave of popular violence here without any guiding hand, and that's liable to only get worse."

"They simply hate us"

Speaking about the mentality behind the attacks, Landau continued "these aren't frustrated Arabs without work, we see here Arabs from eastern Jerusalem with blue identity cards (of citizens and permanent residents) that get national insurance."

"They simply hate us from a long time ago and as long as we live together with them and the friction is high this will occur," said Landau. "It is impossible to subjugate motivation and ideology."

Debunking the claims of "Israeli occupation" being the cause of the terror, Landau said "this conflict began way before the (1967) Six Day War; terrorist organizations were founded on the basis of the 'right of return'" for Arab residents of Israel who fled in the War of Independence waged to destroy the nascent modern Jewish state.

Jerusalem Police need a change according to Landau, whose warning comes after Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat recently called for a harsher crackdown on terror after previously trying to hush up the "silent intifada" in his city and ignore the terror.

"There needs to be more manpower, acting more aggressively with a stronger arm. Let them enlist the judicial branch, because it cannot be that they release these kind of detainees after two days," said Landau. "Establishing police stations in Arab neighborhoods has not proven itself, there were attempts to enter Shuafat, Issawiya...but the Arabs don't want us."