Israeli Leader Calls For Calm Amid Unrest

JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to calm Israelis on Thursday as a wave of Palestinian stabbing attacks spread deeper into Israel and clashes erupted across the West Bank. Netanyahu has come under fire from hard-liners within his own governing coalition as well as opposition lawmakers for not putting an end to the surging violence, which erupted weeks ago over tensions surrounding a Jerusalem site revered by Muslims and Jews. The unrest began with clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police within the Jerusalem hilltop compound. But in recent days, the violence has intensified and a series of attacks by Palestinians, carried out mainly by young people with no known links to armed groups, has shocked Israelis and raised fears of a new uprising. “Israelis are acting with bravery, courage, restraint and determination to neutralize and kill the terrorists in the act,” Netanyahu told reporters at a news conference with top defense officials. “With persistence, systematically and with determination, we will prove that terror doesn’t pay,” he said. Israelis around the country have watched warily in recent days as the violence spread away from Jerusalem and the West Bank and deep into Israel.