|
Trending Topics
|
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=15475
Dispelling Myths on Terrorism
(Israel Hayom) Dr. Limor Samimian-Darash - We are told that Palestinian terrorism stems from despair. The waves of Palestinian terrorism in the 1990s after the signing of the Oslo Accords took place when there was a diplomatic process. Back then, our dead were called "victims of peace." It would be just as wrong to call the Israelis killed in recent terrorist attacks "victims of despair." Instead, they are victims of the Palestinians' sanctification of death and refusal to recognize Israel's existence. Let us also dispel the notion of "lone wolf attackers," as if the attackers are acting in a spontaneous, unorganized and uncontrolled manner. The main onus for stopping terrorism lies with the Palestinian Authority. PA President Mahmoud Abbas and his ilk continue to incite against Israel and provide funds to terrorists and their families. Palestinian terrorists draw from years of hatred they learned in PA-run schools. It is the PA that could bring the wave of terrorism to an end, if only it so chose. A look at history reveals that all international bids to intervene and resolve the conflict have resulted in waves of Palestinian terrorism. International pressure is applied asymmetrically on Israel, freeing the Palestinians of any responsibility for their fate and increasing their appetite for a state that replaces Israel. The writer is a lecturer (assistant professor) at the Federman School of Public Policy and Government at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.