Several serious incidents occurred recently in the West Bank. Not the first of their kind, these events are examples of a phenomenon referred to publicly by the head of the Israeli Security Agency and the IDF Spokesperson as terrorism, and they require a fresh understanding of terrorism and new thinking about the ways to confront it.
The professional literature includes many definitions of "terrorism,” led by:
- A terrorist act is intended to attack citizens in a "target group" – their lives, safety, or property – by violent means. The harm is directed at those people solely because they belong to the target group.
- A terrorist act is intended to spread fear ("terror") within the target group in order to bring about a change that will advance the goals of the terrorist agents.
Any act of terrorism against civilians is wrong, because it involves the violent use of unacceptable means to advance a goal. The fault with any act of terrorism is moral, ethical, and legal. The Jewish attacks on Palestinian villages are acts of terrorism. The victims were attacked exclusively for being Palestinians. In my understanding, the overriding goal of Jewish terrorism is to expand the areas of Jewish settlement in the West Bank, in a way that will thwart any Palestinian activity toward political independence.
The role of the IDF as the sovereign in the West Bank, in accordance with its mission, values, and professional approaches and based on Israeli law and international law, includes the necessary military activity to protect the citizens of Israel within its borders and in the territories under its control. At the same time, the IDF and the Israeli Security Agency have other responsibilities, to enable and ensure a routine of life for the Palestinian residents in the territories. Therefore, the IDF and the other security agencies must act resolutely against both Palestinian terrorism and Jewish terrorism. It is difficult to carry out these two tasks at the same time. The joint announcement by the Chief of Staff, the head of the Israeli Security Agency, and the police commissioner condemning Jewish nationalist terrorism (June 24, 2023) was an important step in the right direction.
The terrorist acts by Jews are occasionally carried out by large groups of rioters. Presumably behind the activity of a violent group of this sort is an organization or movement with a driving leadership, and a framework for systematic activity to launch terrorism against Palestinians. There is room to consider declaring the rioting groups in the West Bank as terrorist movements or organizations, and thereupon act to eradicate them. This is a decided Israeli national interest, despite the political difficulty of its implementation.
Several serious incidents occurred recently in the West Bank. Not the first of their kind, these events are examples of a phenomenon referred to publicly by the head of the Israeli Security Agency and the IDF Spokesperson as terrorism, and they require a fresh understanding of terrorism and new thinking about the ways to confront it.
The professional literature includes many definitions of "terrorism,” led by:
Any act of terrorism against civilians is wrong, because it involves the violent use of unacceptable means to advance a goal. The fault with any act of terrorism is moral, ethical, and legal. The Jewish attacks on Palestinian villages are acts of terrorism. The victims were attacked exclusively for being Palestinians. In my understanding, the overriding goal of Jewish terrorism is to expand the areas of Jewish settlement in the West Bank, in a way that will thwart any Palestinian activity toward political independence.
The role of the IDF as the sovereign in the West Bank, in accordance with its mission, values, and professional approaches and based on Israeli law and international law, includes the necessary military activity to protect the citizens of Israel within its borders and in the territories under its control. At the same time, the IDF and the Israeli Security Agency have other responsibilities, to enable and ensure a routine of life for the Palestinian residents in the territories. Therefore, the IDF and the other security agencies must act resolutely against both Palestinian terrorism and Jewish terrorism. It is difficult to carry out these two tasks at the same time. The joint announcement by the Chief of Staff, the head of the Israeli Security Agency, and the police commissioner condemning Jewish nationalist terrorism (June 24, 2023) was an important step in the right direction.
The terrorist acts by Jews are occasionally carried out by large groups of rioters. Presumably behind the activity of a violent group of this sort is an organization or movement with a driving leadership, and a framework for systematic activity to launch terrorism against Palestinians. There is room to consider declaring the rioting groups in the West Bank as terrorist movements or organizations, and thereupon act to eradicate them. This is a decided Israeli national interest, despite the political difficulty of its implementation.