Avi Naim, head of the Beit Aryeh council in western Samaria, called to mobilize reserve forces to stabilize the security situation in Jerusalem on Friday, in a special interview with Arutz Sheva. 

“The situation is explosive and sensitive,” Naim stated. “There is the guiding hand of [Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud] Abbas there, who wants to burn the city [down], and the fact that there are no incidents in Judea-Samaria.”

“[Jerusalem] needs reinforcements, and we should call up the reserves, so the [IDF] is seen everywhere and so that we take a firm hand [against terrorists],” he added.

According to Naim, the way to prevent the situation from deteriorating further is to be firm with Jerusalem’s Arab population.

“It is still possible to stop the deterioration [in Jerusalem],” Naim said. “A sovereign state cannot afford to overlook incidents.”

Naim also referred to Wednesday night’s terror attack at the Shimon Hatzadik light rail station in Jerusalem, saying that the Border Police shooting the terrorist is “the only way to send a message” to the Arab rioters. 

“This should be the method: when a terrorist attacks, he dies, and they destroy his family’s home,” Naim urged. “This is the only way [terrorists] will think twice before attacking.” 

Naim’s words surface after three major terror attacks in Jerusalem in two weeks: a rampage near the Jerusalem light rail that killed a three month-old baby and a seminary student, the attempted murder of Temple Mount rights activist Yehuda Glick, and Wednesday’s attack, which killed a Border Policeman and a 17-year-old. 

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat revealed last week that crime in Jerusalem had skyrocketed over the past several weeks, from 200 incidents per month to over 5,000. 

The criticism also surfaces amid an escalation in discontent with the decision-makers in the security establishment – including Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich and Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino – who have become a focal point for criticism over the past several months for their alleged denial of the severity of the situation. 

Just days ago, a Cabinet meeting erupted into a series of criticisms over Aharonovich’s term as minister, after several MKs blasted his handling of recent terror attacks in light of last week’s attempted murder of Temple Mount activist Yehuda Glick.