According to the Israel Security Agency [also known as Shin Bet] attacks on Jews by Arabs decreased in February 2011. An ISA summary reported 61 attacks in February compared to 83 in January.
The marked decline was especially noteworthy in areas near Gaza, which had 18 attacks in February compared to 30 in January. These attacks included 5 rockets attacks and nine mortar attacks on Jewish communities, one firefight between soldiers and terrorists at the security fence, one anti-tank missile (interdicted thanks to the IDFs new 'Trophy-Windbreaker' anti-missile system), and two attacks on cargo transports.
The fourteen combined rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza included a total of six rockets and 19 mortar shells - down from the 17 rockets and 26 mortar shells in the 25 attacks perpetrated in January. However, for the first time in many years, Be'er Sheva was struck by a pair Grad rockets fired from Gaza. While no one was injured in that attack, several people were treated for shock.
The Be'er Sheva attack may represent a qualitative escalation amidst quantitative losses on the part of Hamas and its allies commonly attributed to IDF retaliatory strikes and counter-smuggling efforts by Israel's security officials.
In Judea and Samaria there was a drop to 23 attacks in February from 33 in January. The number of attacks, however, remains higher than the previous quarter, which saw 20 attacks in October and November of 2010 respectively, and 18 attacks in December 2010.
When Jerusalem is included, the statistics for Judea and Samaria paint a different picture, however. With Jerusalem included there were 43 attacks in Judea and Samaria in February 2011, compared to 47 in January, representing a negible reduction. Of these attacks 41 were molotov cocktails, with two grenade attacks to round out the data set. Last month a molotov cocktail seriously injured two soldiers in the vicinity of a riot.
The ISA does not include potentially lethal rock-throwing attacks, the most pervasive form of attack on Jewish Israelis by Arabs, in its statistics.