Israel is in shock. On July 30, Yishai Shlissel, an ultra-Orthodox extremist, burst into a gay pride parade in Jerusalem. Armed with a large knife, Shlissel indiscriminately stabbed six people in a rampage before eventually being stopped by the police. On Aug. 2, 16-year-old Shira Banki died from her wounds. Her attacker had been released from prison less than a month ago, having served a ten-year sentence for a similar act committed a decade ago, at a gay pride parade in Jerusalem.

While Israelis were recovering from that trauma, unknown assailants threw a Molotov cocktail into the home of a Palestinian family in Douma village in Samaria. Flames quickly enveloped the house, and the family members inside were unable to extricate themselves in time. Ali Dawabsha, one and a half years old, was burned to death. His parents and four-year-old brother are in critical condition. Doctors in Israeli hospitals are helping the Dawabsha family fight for their lives around the clock.

Thus, a heavy cloud suddenly descended on Israeli society, along with an especially severe August heat wave. Is Israel changing? Has the radical Arab Spring phenomena surrounding Israel begun to infiltrate the only democracy in the Middle East? The short answer is, no. Not yet. Telltale signs are beginning to emerge, however. The writing is on the wall, before our very eyes.

The Shlissel incident is relatively straightforward. There are groups of isolationist, extremist ultra-Orthodox groups in Israel that view everything represented by Tel Aviv as heresy. Shlissel is one of them. The parade incident was indicative of a massive police failure in intelligence, vigilance and physical security during that event. At the moment, however, Shlissel and his ilk do not threaten Israeli democracy.