In an unusual move, the State of Israel expressed sorrow over the death of Palestinian Minister for Settlement Affairs Ziad Abu Ein, even before the autopsy results had been released. The reason was clear: Israel is concerned that Abu Ein’s death will rekindle the unrest in the territories now that the recent wave of violence has been curbed.
“We regret Abu Ein’s death and the matter is under investigation. We have proposed to the Palestinian Authority [PA] to conduct a joint inquiry, and a joint autopsy of Abu Ein’s body will be carried out. Security stability is important to both sides and we will pursue this coordination vis-a-vis the [PA],” Defense Minister Moshe "Bogie" Ya’alon said in a press release.