In a new audio message, Ayman al-Zawahri, the Egyptian leader of al-Qaeda, has strongly endorsed the Palestinian attacks on Israelis with knives and called on Muslims everywhere to follow the Palestinian example, especially by attacking Americans at home. It's classic al-Qaeda strategy: Jump on a bandwagon you didn't start and ride it to garner support. It's been a winning formula for over a decade.
Zawahri issued a 16-minute audiotape from his hideout in Pakistan or Afghanistan over the weekend titled "Let us unite to liberate Jerusalem." He begins by lauding the series of attacks in Jerusalem, Hebron and elsewhere by individual Palestinians with knives on Jews, saying these martyrdom operations are a "new epic of jihad" that should be emulated by Muslims everywhere. The goal should be to wear down the Israeli economy by inducing fear among Israelis and visitors to Israel. Exhaustion is the objective.