As Israelis mourn, some Palestinians exult and some fear what's next

Two Palestinians shot dead a dozen Israelis, seven fatally, over the weekend. In the aftermath, relatives of the attackers expressed a mixture of pride and terror.

As grieving Israeli families celebrated shiva on Sunday for seven civilians killed this weekend -end in East Jerusalem, the family of their Palestinian killer felt a different emotion.

Pride.

"He is a legend and a hero," said the killer's father, Moussa al-Qam, 48, whose own father was stabbed to death in 1998, in what Israeli officials later admitted as an act of Jewish terrorism.His son, Khairy, 21, who is named after his grandfather, was killed after leading Friday's attack outside a synagogue.

"I raised him well," said Mr. al- said Qam.

Mr. al-Qam's commentary and his story family have highlighted why the current moment in Israel e t in the occupied territories seems so desperate and perilous, after a spasm of violence that has left seven Israelis and at least 14 Palestinians dead since Thursday.

Some Palestinians like Mr. al-Qam express little empathy for Israeli civilians and live in an environment where Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians are celebrated and their perpetrators are admired, which increases the likelihood of further attacks in the days to come.

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Such a desire for revenge, coupled with the goals of ministers in Israel's new government, has raised questions about whether the region is on the cusp of a new escalation involving either a violent popular uprising in the occupied West Bank, another devastating conflict in the Gaza Strip, or both.

The Palestinian Authority, the semi-autonomous body that administers parts of the West Bank e, reduced its coordination with Israeli military officials last week, weakening one of the means by which violent surges have been curbed in the past.

ImageView of the neighborhoods of Silwan and Shayah in East Jerusalem.Credit...Afif H. Amireh for the New York Times

The nature of Israel's response could help decide whether the current push is abating or intensifying, as could messages delivered by US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who is due to visit Jerusalem and the West Bank on Monday and Tuesday.

But a Palestinian appetite for a new wave of violence m may ultimately be the deciding factor in the direction the present moment takes. And in interviews Sunday with Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, there was widespread anger over their treatment, especially after the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in more than a year. decade and a half.

In Jerusalem, the families of the seven Israelis killed Friday wept in cramped, spartan homes, welcoming a steady stream of mourners. Some expressed bewilderment at how their loved ones ended up falling victim to this cycle of violence. Others expressed their anger.

But for Palestinians, such attacks do not happen in a vacuum: they are fueled by Israel's treatment of Palestinians, including including the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the creation of a two-tier legal system that distinguishes between Israelis and Palestinians in the territory; Israeli-Egyptian