Ostensibly, the statement released by the Shin Bet regarding the investigation findings of the Palestinian minor who killed Dafna Meir in the Otniel settlement on Jan. 17 was a standard one. The 15-year-old terrorist from the village of Beit Amra close to Hebron was apprehended the day after the killing at his home in the village. He succeeded in infiltrating Otniel and escaping without interference; the Shin Bet got to him within 24 hours.

What was unusual this time, was that the Shin Bet released details about what triggered the Palestinian youth to perpetrate the attack. "The interrogation by the Shin Bet revealed that prior to the deadly attack, the minor had watched Palestinian TV broadcasts that portrayed Israel as the ‘killer of Palestinian youths.’ In addition, the interrogation revealed that on the day of the assault, and under the influence of the contents to which he had been exposed on Palestinian TV, the minor decided to carry out a stabbing attack with the goal of killing a Jew. In light of the proximity of the Otniel settlement to his residence, the minor decided to carry out the terror attack in Otniel."

This was, seemingly, a routine announcement. But in actuality, every word in the statement was carefully crafted. The statement emphasized and repeated the fact that the boy had been incited by Palestinian TV to kill Jews.

On Jan. 20, the Israeli media had publicized data about a study conducted by experts from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT). According to this study, incitement is not the main impetus that causes young Palestinians to kill Jews and lose their own lives in the process. The COGAT study exhibits data that is far more nuanced, with numerous characteristics and variables that point to a picture that is far less definitive than the one portrayed by the Shin Bet. It has emerged that not all the terrorists watch Palestinian TV. In general, the official Palestinian TV stations have low ratings, with almost no youths watching. Instead, Palestinian youths are mainly active on social networking sites. They often carry out assaults to avenge the death of a family member or friend, while at other times they are in the throes of a psychological crisis. (For example, on Jan. 23, a 13-year-old Palestinian girl who had an argument with her family took a knife and attacked an Israeli security guard in the Anatot settlement as a way of committing suicide.) At other times, the lone wolves are egged on by an external event or they are seized by a sudden rage that causes them to do something that will evidently lead to their deaths.