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Combating 21st Century Terror: What Europe Can Learn from Israel
(Spectator-UK) David Patrikarakos - Spain, Finland, Russia: in the space of a few days, Europe is reminded, yet again, that terrorism kills brutally, indiscriminately and transnationally. In too many countries, counter-terrorism measures are still insufficient. One country, above all, has the method and the solution. Israel has been dealing with terrorism since the state's inception 70 years ago. From airline hijackings to suicide bombers to stabbings, shooting and vehicle attacks, Israel has seen them all and has adapted accordingly. Pini Schiff, former head of security at the Israel Airports Authority, says: "Both the UK and France, for example, have really professional [intelligence] agencies, but that is not enough. There is not enough communication between intelligence agencies across Europe, like there is between all branches of the Israeli security services. It needs to be a 'one nation' intelligence community." An Israeli counter-terrorism official told me: "Simple things, like placing bollards and barriers at strategic points in major centers, can almost eliminate the possibility of vehicle rammings." Moreover, in Israel the police have a dedicated Facebook page where people can report terrorist content they find posted on social media, all of which is checked. It has saved lives.