ABSTRACT
By its fifth year, the Intifada had changed its character almost completely. On the one hand, widespread demonstrations and riots were far less frequent, and most Palestinians had returned to work in Israel. The initial attempt by the Intifada leadership to dissociate the population from the civil administration had also failed. Yet on the other hand, the Palestinians had not given up their struggle. Sporadic riots and disorders continued to occur, reflecting the fundamental evolution that had taken place in the local population’s attitude toward the IDF: there was no fear of confronting Israeli soldiers and even clashing with them. Furthermore, and of far more serious consequence, during the last months of 1992 and early months of 1993 there was a sharp escalation in cases of spontaneous individual Palestinians attacking and knifing Israelis in the Territories as well as in Israel proper (see Table I).
