Tensions in the occupied territories are on the rise. Two young Palestinians — Mohammad Abu al-Taher, 22, and Nadim Nuwara, 17 — were killed near the Bitunia checkpoint during the Nakba Day protests May 15. According to Palestinian sources, they were shot with live ammunition during clashes with Israeli troops. On the face of it, this is yet another incident reflecting the stormy, restless atmosphere in the Palestinian Authority (PA). The reasons for this unrest have often been explained in recent months: frustration, unemployment, lack of diplomatic horizon, weakening of the Palestinian security apparatus and so on.
Yet, the Nakba Day incident in Bitunia should not be viewed as just another bloody incident, but rather as a warning signal. When analyzing the conduct of the Palestinian security forces before and during the clashes in which the two young men were killed, it appears that the PA's capacity to control violent events — which was very successful in the past — is now highly doubtful.