American tourist reportedly killed in 1 of 3 terror attacks in Israel during Biden visit
An American tourist was stabbed to death in one of three bloody terror attacks that rocked Israel Tuesday, just as Vice President Biden arrived in Tel Aviv to meet with leaders in an effort to stem Palestinian violence and mend frayed relations with the Jewish state.
Palestinian attackers shot and stabbed a dozen policemen and civilians in separate assaults around Israel, continuing near-daily incidents that began in October and have left more than 200 Israelis and Palestinians dead. Two Israeli police officers and 10 civilians were wounded in the attacks and three Palestinian attackers were shot and killed.
Part of Biden’s mission is to smooth over the latest bump in relations between the Obama White House and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a public falling out over the Iran nuclear deal last year. Biden will meet with Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday to discuss military aid, a session that comes on the heels of the prime minister canceling a trip to Washington.
As if to underscore the continuing problem of Palestinian violence, which has surged since the so-called “knife intifada” began in Jerusalem last fall, a Palestinian opened fire at police near Jerusalem’s Old City an hour before his plane touched down. One police officer was reportedly shot in the head in the attack, and another hurt as the assailant was chased down and kileld.
Then, after Biden arrived in Tel Aviv, 10 Israelis were stabbed in the city’s Jaffa port section, Reuters reported. A BBC reporter tweeted that Biden was a few hundred meters from the attack.
Terrorist Attacks and Threats in Israel | FindTheData
The American tourist died in the attack and was described as a 29-year-old man. His wife was one of five seriously injured.
The suspect, who was not immediately identified, was “neutralized,” authorities said.
It was the latest in a wave of Palestinian attacks that have killed 28 Israelis, mostly in shootings, stabbings and assaults with cars. At least 174 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire during that time. Most were attackers and the rest were killed in clashes, Israel says.