The Palestinian Terrorism of the Past Year: Causes and Policy Recommendations (original) (raw)
Related papers
The Outbreak of “Individual Terrorism” in the Palestinian Arena
Faced with the ongoing reality of stabbings, vehicle attacks, and shootings, many in Israel are demanding that much more be done to deal with the situation. In this context, they repeatedly invoke the old, familiar toolbox that was effective during the second intifada, when Israel faced organized terrorism. However, the current outbreak does not resemble the second intifada. In recent years, Israel has failed to outfit a new toolbox suited to the spirit of the times focused on economic, infrastructural, social, educational, and public relations efforts, to be used also in the new media. The reality of the last few years has suppressed the development of a legitimate local Palestinian leadership that is attentive to the population’s problems, and represents an outlet for dialogue with Israel and a means to rein in violence. Lacking an appropriate solution to a strategic problem, there is a return to the old tool box; some in Israel are pushing to recycle operational plans formulated as a response to a radically different situation. This could well prove to be a bad mistake. The pressure on the political echelon and the security establishment to act is liable to impair the political echelon’s rational considerations, undermine the restrained and responsible reaction taken to date, and lead to it adopt a rationale of action that is unsuited to the current type of terrorism.
Palestinian’s popular rampage and Israeli security
Journal of Positive Psychology & Wellbeing , 2022
This study aims to analyze the impact of the 'Palestinian's popular rampage' (PPR) on Israeli security to seek out wherein Israel adhered to its old security strategies through which it dealt with the previous Al Aqsa Intifada and where it worked to change its security strategy towards its handling of the Palestinian's popular rampage. Relying in this regard on the approach of continuity and change. The study concluded that the Palestinian's popular rampage (PPR) posed a serious challenge to Israel's internal and economic security. Significantly, Israel was keen to protect its internal security so it was interested in changing some aspects of its old security strategy through which it dealt with the Al-Aqsa Intifada; yet it continued in other parts to depend on it. One of the foremost necessary aspects that Israel has modified in its old security strategy was the use of technology to meet the requirements of time and to attain its security. It utilized technology in its newly adapted security strategy using cameras for the first time at checkpoints; social networks were also exploited to spy on Palestinians. The Israeli army in this respect had posted its security strategy on its website to reassure the Israeli public. Furthermore, Israel changed its old security strategy by introducing the counterattack, as well as replacing its old "cauterization of conscience" strategy that is based on collective punishment; wherein it attempted to solely maintain this rampage in the individual framework to solely punish the Palestinians who attempt to stab Israelis so that the effect does not extend to the rest of the Palestinians. One aspect that Israel kept in its old security strategy is closed checkpoints and intensify security precautions during Jewish holidays.
TERRORISM AS A POLITICAL TOOL IN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CRISIS
This paper tried to examine the effects of Palestinian-Israeli conflict that rampage the region for decades. History has availed us with the picture of the Middle East as a region infested with the "longest lasting struggles" of Political Terrorism between the Zionist on one hand and the Palestinians on the other over Land, Security, and Dignity. Since the beginning of the crisis, it has been warred upon wars without final and finite victor or a vanquished. Each regards itself as a victim and drew from that self-image a solipsistic self-righteousness that is used to justify ruthless means. On May 14, 1948, the Zionist, led by David Ben Gurion, proclaimed the state of Israel, and ever since, Israel has been bulldozing Arab villages, killing people with helicopter gun-ships, armored cars, and rockets. Occupation, sending into exile and discrimination of the occupied by the occupier became the norm. These maltreatments on the Palestinians spilled into what the Israelis term as extremism. Many militant groups from Palestine and other areas of the Middle East have therefore sprung up in recent years as well as past decades, engaging in acts such as suicide bombings, sniper shootings, and car or bus bombing-the West and Israel, and their propaganda media described as terrorism. The groups justify their actions as freedom fighting. This gory relationship spiraled into consequences, which tragic effect impinged on the Israelis, Palestinians as well as the Arab politics. It affected regional stability, inter-religious dealings, and the moral standing of Islam and global Jewry. The study relied on secondary data: published and unpublished works of scholars sourced from resource institutions. Data collected was qualitatively analyzed using content analysis. To capture the essence of the study, a correlation was conclusively drawn between the crisis, its immutability to solutions and political terrorism.
The Impact of Jewish Terrorism on Palestine
Israel and the Jewish people have a long history of terrorism. Jewish terrorism is often overlooked in the current age of the Global Islamic Jihad, this paper intends to establish the historical precedent for Jewish terrorism, its impact on the Palestinian mandate, and more recent acts of Jewish terror by groups such as the Gush Emunim and the Kahane or Kach movement.
The Escalation in the Palestinian Arena - Ramifications and Response
Recent weeks have been marked by terrorist attacks and rioting in Jerusalem and the West Bank; rocket fire from the Gaza Strip; and protests by Israeli Arabs. Many observers and politicians have been quick to affix the familiar label of “intifada” to the current wave of violence. Calling the escalation a “third intifada,” however, is not an accurate portrayal of the current events, and therefore does not invite the right response to the situation. At this stage, there is no intifada according to its recognized meaning, but the current escalation, accompanied by the disintegration of the institutional order in the PA, contains the seeds of decline and loss of control. It therefore requires an Israeli response that is both direct and indirect, immediate and for the longer term, and public and behind-the-scenes. At the same time, the Israeli government should avoid misleading the Israeli public about its ability to put a complete end to terrorism. With all the difficulty involved, the Israeli public must understand the reality of conflict management in a situation such as the current one, in which Palestinian violence draws its inspiration from religion and the regional upheaval.
It is evident that the religious dimension of the struggle over al-Aqsa, in addition to inspiration stemming from the jihadist propaganda of the Islamic State, is channeling the prevailing sense of frustration among young Palestinians, their loss of faith in their leaders, their desire to protest, and their rejection of the existing order into violent energy and the use of knives as a cultural symbol and an expression of their ability to withstand and resist a strong force – the Israeli army and Israeli society. Nonetheless, the dimension; rather, the religious dimension has become a source of inspiration motivating the Muslim population to engage in violent action which, for its part, and with the help of the social media and institutional support – shuhada (martyrdom) and the support of their families – has gone viral, thereby encouraging other young Palestinians to turn to terrorism.
Forthcoming, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism
How does terrorism affect land control in intrastate conflicts? This paper explores this question in the case of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the Second Intifada (2000-2005), and shows that Palestinian attacks lead to an expansion of Israeli outposts in the disputed territories of the West Bank. Following suicide attacks, there is an increase in outposts in home districts of the perpetrators. The number of outposts also increases following deadly attacks against Israelis in West Bank districts where these attacks take place. These results suggest that Israeli settlers use outpost expansion as retaliation against Palestinian communities they perceive to be involved in violence, and this shifts territorial control against Palestinians.