This is an interesting piece in Ha'aretz about efforts by the Shin Bet -- Israel's internal security service -- to crack down on far-right Jewish terrorists. Responding to increasingly brazen acts by these "price tag" militants, the Shin Bet was authorized to, in essence, treat them more akin to the Palestinian terrorists they resemble in every relevant respect. And after arresting over a dozen of the top leaders in the movement, violence against Palestinians has fallen.
It's not just depriving the beast of its head that's doing the work here. As the article relates, the right-wingers "thought they were immune to charges, but we surprised them." Basically, they believed in the culture of impunity, and acted accordingly. Once the Shin Bet sent a signal that the old rules didn't apply, the terrorists were taken aback and, at the very least, have been forced to regroup. This is a good thing.
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