Critics on both the right and left have taken issue with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's decisions. Right-wing critics believe including an Arab party in the coalition has weakened the state's ability to police Israel's Arab minority and respond to recent attacks by Arab citizens. Meanwhile, left-wing critics criticize Bennett for making minor concessions to Palestinians without pursuing peace talks or a Palestinian state, which they believe has fueled Palestinian despair and violence. Bennett faces challenges in responding to the violence due to the diverse composition of his coalition, which includes right-wingers, centrists, leftists, and an Arab Islamist party. Despite finding ways to navigate their differences, the recent attacks have highlighted the differing perspectives within the coalition. The violence serves as a reminder that the Palestinian issue remains unresolved and a potential source of conflict, despite Israelis' desire for peace. Bennett, similar to Netanyahu before him, has chosen to prioritize other issues over resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The last peace talks broke down in 2014, with the Palestinian leadership unable to present a united front and key Israeli leaders, including Bennett, opposing a Palestinian state. However, recent violence has caused some Israeli commentators to recognize the instability of the current situation, though this realization has not significantly changed opinions on the conflict. Ofer Zalzberg, director of the Middle East Program at the Herbert C Kelman Institute in Jerusalem, described the conversation surrounding the conflict as repetitive with few new arguments. He also mentioned that people tend to keep their positions based on their own perspectives rather than changing them based on events. Recent shootings in Bnei Brak, Israel, by a West Bank Palestinian that resulted in five deaths have reinforced the belief among some witnesses and survivors that there is no hope for peace with Palestinians and that a Palestinian state would only increase danger for Israelis. Despite Bennett's opposition to Palestinian sovereignty, he faced backlash for working with Ra’am and granting more work permits to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Calls have been made in the city for residents to not hire Palestinian laborers, with posters urging Bennett to step down. In neighboring cities, construction sites that typically employed Palestinians were closed, and contractors were urged not to hire them. Moshe Waldman, an accountant in Bnei Brak who witnessed part of the attack, expressed the need for severe punishment for the families of terrorists. He suggested destroying their homes as a means of real deterrence. Waldman emphasized that despite the world's advice to negotiate, the reality is different in this situation. We are facing significant challenges because of the animosity towards us. While some criticize Bennett for his close relationships with Arab Israelis and his willingness to make concessions to Palestinians, others believe he should be doing more. The Israeli government has taken steps such as granting work permits and legal status to West Bank Palestinians, providing financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority, and increasing communication with Palestinian leaders. However, critics argue that this approach, aimed at "shrinking the conflict," does not address the fundamental issues faced by Palestinians living under occupation. Daily raids by the Israeli army continue in areas supposedly under Palestinian control, and a two-tier justice system persists in the West Bank. And the Palestinian aspiration for statehood remains as far away as it has ever been. Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst for the International Crisis Group in Tel Aviv, Israel, expressed the view that there is a sense of hopelessness and a lack of any political progress on the Palestinian front. Zonszein noted that Israelis have grown accustomed to maintaining the current situation without facing any consequences, but the absence of a political process has created a climate that is more conducive to violence. In the immediate future, Bennett faces the challenging task of enhancing Israeli security and addressing the concerns of his right-wing supporters, while also avoiding actions that could escalate violence or alienate the Arab lawmakers who are crucial to his coalition. In an attempt to strike this delicate balance, the Israeli army has deployed additional troops to the West Bank and the Israel-Gaza border, while the Israeli Police has focused primarily on counterterrorism efforts. Bennett's suggestion for Israeli civilians to carry licensed firearms has caused concern among many Arab citizens of Israel, according to Bashaer Fahoum-Jayoussi of the Abraham Initiatives. She believes this move could lead to the militarization of citizens and exacerbate the recent increase in hate speech against the Arab community in Israel. In an effort to ease tensions, Bennett has praised his Arab coalition partner, Mansour Abbas, and the government still permits tens of thousands of Palestinians to enter Israel daily from the West Bank and Gaza. There have been no changes to the plan allowing retirees from the West Bank to enter Jerusalem during Ramadan. Bennett's office did not provide a comment, but his ally Micah Goodman, who promoted the concept of "shrinking the conflict," stated that it is too early to assess the government's approach in the West Bank and Israel. Goodman believes that achieving the main goals of gradually liberating Palestinians in the West Bank and integrating them into Israel will take years, not months. He also noted that fear is the dominant emotion for Israelis in the conflict, while humiliation is the main emotion for Palestinians. Reducing the conflict involves diminishing fear for Israelis due to decreased terrorism and less humiliation for Palestinians because of reduced occupation. This process cannot be properly evaluated in just nine months of the current government. If the current wave of violence decreases soon, it could be seen as a positive outcome of the Bennett government's strategy. The recent condemnation of an attack by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was seen as a result of increased engagement with Israeli officials. If the violence decreases, it could show that cooperation with the PA is beneficial in fighting against common enemies. This could lead to more support for the PA and potentially empower them politically, although it falls short of full Palestinian statehood. However, some believe that these small steps do not lessen the occupation but rather provide cover for its entrenchment through the growth of settlements and settler violence. She stated that the occupation is still continuing and that it is deteriorating.