The deadly terror attack in Be'er Sheva on Tuesday, which claimed the lives of four people, caught Israeli security officials by surprise, but also manifested their biggest fears as we approach the holy month of Ramadan, often characterized by outbursts of violence.
The terrorist, a resident of the Bedouin town of Hura, was a married father of five and a teacher by trade. He was a respected member of his community, at least according to the judge who gave him a lenient sentence of only four years in prison for attempting to join the Islamic State in 2016.
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Funerals of the four victims of the terror attack in Be'er Sheva
(Photo: Herzl Yossef; Courtesy)
According to the police, Tuesday's attack was Muhammad Abu al-Kian's own initiative and was carried out by him alone. He went on a frenzied killing spree at one of the city's shopping centers, stabbing anyone he saw on his path and was only stopped after being shot by armed civilians at the scene.
Having been in prison for security offenses, the terrorist was on Israel security agencies' radar, but no prior intelligence indicated he was planning such a horrific, murderous attack.
Intelligence is difficult to gather when it comes to lone wolfs, but Tuesday's attack should have been anticipated due to its proximity to Ramadan - had the security agencies, the police and the IDF only stepped up their alert levels.
This attack in particular runs the risk of inciting other radicals to launch copy cat offenses for a number of reasons.
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The terrorist pictured with a knife and the store where one of the victims was killed
(Photo: Ilana Curiel)
Firstly, the assailant was a married man in his 30s and not a troubled teenager who had fallen out with his parents or a mentally disturbed individual. The nature of his attack is pure nationalism spurred by his affiliation with the Islamic State.
Secondly, the security footage from the attack spread like wildfire on social media. With the aid of simple computer graphics those images can be easily used to incite further violence if you only slap on them some digital Palestinian flags and calls for vengeance.
Thirdly, and most crucially, the "success" of his stabbing spree - when it comes to the number of fatalities - makes it the deadliest terrorist attack in Israel in the past five years. And that is something to aspire to you're a radical jihadist.
Nevertheless, Jerusalem and the West Bank remain the focus of security officials despite the tragedy in Be'er Sheva, and extending their field of operation to include other parts of the country would take time.
The fact that the perpetrator of the deadly attack was an Israeli citizen has prompted claims that he was able to carry out his killing spree due to lax policing in the Negev. But, it could just as easily be the result of increased nationalism among Israeli Arabs in general, especially given the fact that police has for years refrained from entering certain areas of the Arab sector, leaving the door open for such incidents to take place.
Security officials are well aware of the blurring lines between criminal conduct and nationalistically motivated acts of violence in the Arab sector. The lucrative business of arms smuggling across the border from Egypt and Jordan has lead to weapons being distributed to both - terrorist elements in the West Bank and to crime gangs in the south.
Among the recent, worrying development, the Shin Bet has uncovered a drug trafficking ring in northern Israel, who were recruited by Hezbollah to work for Iranian intelligence.