Just when it seemed that the wider global public had forgotten the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an explosion in the centre of Jerusalem on Wednesday afternoon overshadowed media coverage of ongoing disturbances and ‘days of rage’ from Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria.

Major TV networks realigned their camera focus from the streets of Arab capitals to the heart of Jerusalem bomb as the 2 kg bomb killed one woman tourist and injured dozens of others. Although it was a relatively small terror attack going by the number of casualties, it has had a profound impact on the Israeli public.

Israelis are used to suicide bombings, rocket attacks and other forms of aggression, but the Jerusalem blast came after a lull of more than five years. In the past, there were times when such explosions took place in Jerusalem on an almost daily basis and claimed the lives of even larger numbers. So Israelis never had any illusions about if the attacks would recur, the only question was when.

Most Israelis like to believe that the security fence built along the West Bank, as well as the blockade imposed on Gaza, has given them the peace for which they have long yearned. Moreover, the security co-ordination between the Western government-funded Palestinian Authority and Israel has reinforced the Israeli sense of self-confidence.

Indeed, this co-ordination has resulted in a massive crackdown on terror infrastructures in the West Bank. Both the Palestinian Authority and Israel have a common interest in cracking down on Islamic radical groups, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad with the help of the US and several European countries.

The Palestinian government in the West Bank has managed to improve both security and living conditions for West Bank Palestinians. The working assumption in Washington and various European capitals is that support for moderate Arabs will dissuade the Arab masses from embracing radical alternatives.

But now, as the Jerusalem explosion has underlined, all pre-existing assumptions about terror prevention cannot be 100 per cent successful. There will always be a lone terrorist who will wake up in the morning and set off on his deadly mission. Sadly, therefore, for the Israelis, Wednesday’s explosion is the rude reminder of a reality they would prefer to forget.

This latest bomb blast will only serve to push Israelis into the arms of their own hardliners. This means that the right wing camp in Israel will become ever stronger, dashing whatever hopes remain of a historic compromise between Israelis and Palestinians.

Right-wingers in Israel are already citing the explosion as evidence that Palestinians are not interested in real peace with their Jewish neighbours. Several right wing parties in Israel have demanded even harsher measures against Palestinians with some going as far as calling for war against the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip.

As of midday Thursday, no Palestinian group had claimed responsibility for the explosion. But this has not prevented the Israeli government of Binyamin Netanyahu from pointing the finger of blame at Palestinians.

In the past, Palestinians paid a heavy price for initiating violence against Israel, especially during the Second Intifada or uprising that began in September 2000. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed or injured since then following Israeli reprisals. Now, the Palestinians fear that their worst nightmare is about to return. The irony is that the Israelis share the same feeling.