(Philadelphia Inquirer) Michael Matza - Those who argue that Israel's targeted killings only intensify Hamas' hatred of Israel are missing the point, says Avraham Rotem, a reserve army major general and senior researcher at Bar-Ilan University's Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. Hamas works round the clock, every day, to plan and execute operations that harm Israelis. "If you kill one of their leaders it has nothing to do with their motivation to do any new operations," Rotem said. "They are trying their best every day anyway." Yediot Ahronot, the mass-circulation Israeli daily, editorialized after Rantisi's killing: "It is inconceivable that the people who send others to commit suicide bombing attacks should be able to sleep soundly in their beds. If there is justification for killing a terrorist on his way to commit a terror attack, there is far more justification for killing the commander and preacher who sent the terrorist on his way."
2004-04-20 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive