Religion, Nationalism, and Terror

Shooting from the hip doesn’t help - Haaretz editorial, September 24, 2008

The circumstances of Monday night’s incident in Jerusalem have yet to be fully ascertained. Statements from witnesses and police - which indicate that it was a deliberate attack by a terrorist who found himself a convenient target and simple means of execution - contrast with the family’s version of events, according to which this was a car accident involving an inexperienced youth who failed his driving test. If it turns out to have been a terrorist attack, it joins the string of recent attacks in which the perpetrators used their vehicles as weapons.

These attacks, which are attributed to individuals rather than organizations and thus become more difficult to pinpoint in advance, are a reminder of the explosive situation in which Jerusalem in particular and Israel in general find themselves. A series of meetings between the prime minister and the Palestinian leadership created a sense of progress on the diplomatic front. The gradual success of the Palestinian leadership in taking upon itself the responsibility for security in Jenin and other parts of the West Bank and the calm along the southern border create the impression that the era of violence is fading: If there still are Palestinian civilians willing to carry out terrorist attacks, they have become isolated, and thus tolerable, cases. Even if the Shin Bet security service struggles to see them coming, harsh and immediate punitive measures, including the destruction of the terrorists homes, would surely put an end to them.

This is an illusion. The diplomatic discussions between Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas, and Tzipi Livni and Ahmed Qureia, have not advanced a diplomatic solution. The Israeli promise to improve living conditions in the territories translated into the removal of a few roadblocks and the release of some 200 Palestinian prisoners, but most parts of the West Bank are still subject to stringent restrictions on movement, unemployment is skyrocketing, and economic growth is virtually nonexistent. The calm in Gaza is hanging by a thread, be it because Israel is not fulfilling its obligations, as charged by Hamas, or due to the inner-Palestinian strife in the territories. This is a temporary and fragile lull that is not backed by a strategic and political plan, all the more so since Israel is busy with its own political backyard and a presidential campaign is underway in Washington.

In the meantime, the harm done to the Palestinian populace is felt in every home where the main wage earner cannot get to work, a pregnant mother in labor cannot get to a hospital, or a student is not granted a permit to travel abroad for studies. The motivation to carry out terrorist attacks is increasing. In such conditions, thwarting individual hostile acts is an uphill battle. The defense ministers hasty reaction, blaming the legal system for harming the states ability to respond immediately, seems particularly bizarre. Has razing the homes of terrorists families prevented terror attacks in the past? Has collective punishment quelled the outbreak of the intifada? Even the security services eventually understood that harsh punishments are no cure. At most, they can provide a sense of revenge.

This dangerous and fragile situation does not call for shoot-from-the-hip statements or a political shrug of the shoulders. Even a caretaker government is authorized to make practical decisions that affect the daily life of civilians in the territories and create an atmosphere that will lead to a more positive direction. This way, the government can aid the Palestinian security services in their ongoing efforts against terrorism and perhaps weaken, if not dissolve, the population’s support for those lone terrorists ready to carry out attacks.