Who is responsible for the Tubas tragedy?

Yesterday, Israeli soldiers saw a Palestinian car speeding directly at them and opened fire in what they thought was necessary self-defense. Unfortunately, it was a Palestinian family and 4 civilians were killed. Why would Israeli soldiers open fire on a car so quickly as it approached?

For years the Palestinian Authority and Hamas have been training Palestinians to turn their cars into weapons to murder Israelis.

Hamas produced an "educational" video, an evil animation that re-enacted a car ramming and other forms of terror attacks and glorified three murderous terrorists, including Alaa Abu Jamal, who had killed one civilian and injured two others in a car ramming:

Fatah's Shabiba student movement at Birzeit University likewise produced a video simulating the planning and execution of a car ramming and stabbing attack on Israeli soldiers titled "Martyrdom-seeking unites us":

Many terrorists have followed their leaders instructions and have executed hundreds of car rammings, and many Israelis have been killed and injured. As a result, Israeli soldiers and police have been trained to respond quickly to unexpected and sudden acceleration of vehicles, aimed towards them or others.

When Palestinians have succeeded in killing Israelis with their cars, their terror attacks have been glorified and presented to Palestinian an effective terror strategy.

In February 2023, terrorist Hussein Karake plowed his vehicle into a Jerusalem bus stop, killing young brothers Yaakov Yisrael Paley and Asher Menachem Paley, aged 6 and 8, and Shlomo Lederman, aged 19.

A Fatah spokesperson praised him for continuing in the footsteps of other terrorists, as quoted in the PA's official newspaper:

"[Karake is] a Martyrdom seeker, who is continuing the path of the Martyrs who preceded him."

 [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 11, 2023]

The PA in this case created the impression that the terrorist rammer was shot for no reason by a "settler" – a term commonly used in PA to refer to all Israeli Jews:

Official PA TV newsreader: "Young Hussein Karake, 30, died as a Martyr from serious wounds after settlers opened fire on him at the Nabi Samwil Junction in northwest occupied Jerusalem."

[Official PA TV News, Feb. 10, 2023]

The number of attempted and successful car ramming-style terror attacks over recent years are too many to list, but here are a few examples:

Fadi Al-Qanbar was a Palestinian terrorist who killed 4 IDF soldiers were killed and wounded over 15 others at the Haas Promenade in Jerusalem, where they were touring. The PA's official newspaper Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's headline legitimized the terror attack, terming it an "operation".

In February 2020, Sanad Al-Turman drove his car into a crowd of Israeli soldiers outside of a Jerusalem entertainment hub, injuring 12 people.

Fatah glorified the terrorist, broadcasting his pro-terror poetry on its official Facebook page:

Sanad Al-Turman, terrorist, wounded 12 Israeli soldiers in car ramming attack:
"Stand proud and tall like the minarets.
Send your bullets like the "stones of hard clay" [Quran, Sura 105:4].
Tear the gangs of invaders into pieces, and let them taste instant death, by [angel] Gabriel.
Burn the tyrants' corpses and their filth, and pour gasoline on their organs..."

Posted text of Facebook page:
"Video: Sanad Al-Turman (i.e., terrorist, wounded 12), who the occupation accuses of carrying out the car ramming operation (i.e., terror attack) in #Jerusalem – stand proud and tall like the minaret"

[Official Fatah Facebook page, Feb 6, 2020]

And the PA and Fatah officials have repeatedly glorified terrorists who carry out such attacks.

Muhammad Jibril was a Palestinian terrorist who carried out a car ramming attack in July 10, 2017. After injuring an Israeli soldier, he exited his car and attempted to stab other soldiers, at which point he was shot and killed.

A Fatah official eulogized him as "a Martyr of the homeland… This Martyrdom, this death, is a blow to the whole Palestinian people"

When in September 2022, Palestinian terrorist Muhammad Awad Abu Kafya rammed his car into a police vehicle in an attempt to kill the officers inside but was then himself killed, PA TV covered his funeral broadcasting a eulogy with the often-used slogan used to promote Palestinian martyrdom, "We love death like our enemies love life."

Unidentified speaker: "This people will not be defeated. A people in which a mother accompanies her Martyr son with sounds of joy will never be defeated. A people in which a child who is like a lofty mountain waits impatiently to become a young man so that he will be able to take revenge for his Martyr father will never be defeated. We love death like our enemies love life."

[Official PA TV, March 8, 2023]

When Israeli soldiers shoot at a car that appears to be directly bearing down on them – as was the case on March 14 near Tubas in the Jordan Valley - don't blame the soldiers for the tragedy. Rather, blame the Palestinian Authority and Hamas who have taught their people to turn cars into deadly weapons and created the necessity for such split-second defensive decisions that can sometimes turn tragic.