by Shalom Freedman
Israel regrettably has probably not seen its last suicide bombing. There are efforts made all the time by the Palestinians to kill in this way. But the fact is that the tactic of suicide bombing as a major weapon that could tilt the struggle in favor of the Palestinians has failed. Through the persistence, and courage, of the Israeli military and intelligence, the suicide bombers - who at the height of their success seemed capable of killing people anywhere they wished in Israel - have been stopped. For seven months, there has been no major suicide bombing in which a large number of Israelis have been killed. During this time, there have been numerous arrests, interventions that prevented would-be suicide bombers from reaching their targets.
As usual, Israel has done less than it might to explain and make the world take notice of this 'victory'. In contrast, the Palestinians, at the height of their success in these murders, were proclaiming over and over again how they had weak, tired Israel on the point of total collapse and defeat. Jews traditionally are warned against crowing over the defeat of their enemies, and are forbidden to make celebration over taking the lives of other human beings, even our enemies. But what is involved in broadcasting this success loudly is a message not simply to Palestinian Arabs, but to the Islamic Jihadists wherever they are. The message is that this tactic does not work, that the killing of civilians deliberately in this way will bring no victory.
For Israelis, it is again, and should be, another way of repeating the message it has been giving to the Arab world for decades. And that is that through violence and war, the Arab societies will achieve only defeat and destruction. And that the way out of the mess of the Middle East is not through violence, but through a transformation toward recognition that the Jewish people are not strangers here, but are making a new society in their ancient homeland. And that cooperation with them can only bring increasing economic, social and human benefits to the Arab world.
This message should also go out strongly to all the false sympathizers with the Palestinians in the world media, in the United Nations, among most of the nations of the world. It is a message for all those who, instead of demanding of the Palestinians responsibility and humane relationships with their neighbors, have encouraged Palestinian propaganda and lies, their self-justifying myth of their own innocence and victimization at the hands of the Jews. The message Israel should be giving all these 'false sympathizers' is that they have encouraged Evil, and have done harm to the very people they would help.
The suicide bombers should be seen, even by the Palestinians themselves, not as martyrs and heroes, but as murderers whose course of Evil led to the further decline and degradation, both morally and socially, of their own people.
The defeat of the suicide bombers, the world should understand, is the defeat - one defeat, and let us hope not a temporary one - of a form of Evil. This fact is perhaps not to be sung and rejoiced about, but nonetheless, it can be taken by decent people everywhere with a certain relief - and even quiet satisfaction.
Israel regrettably has probably not seen its last suicide bombing. There are efforts made all the time by the Palestinians to kill in this way. But the fact is that the tactic of suicide bombing as a major weapon that could tilt the struggle in favor of the Palestinians has failed. Through the persistence, and courage, of the Israeli military and intelligence, the suicide bombers - who at the height of their success seemed capable of killing people anywhere they wished in Israel - have been stopped. For seven months, there has been no major suicide bombing in which a large number of Israelis have been killed. During this time, there have been numerous arrests, interventions that prevented would-be suicide bombers from reaching their targets.
As usual, Israel has done less than it might to explain and make the world take notice of this 'victory'. In contrast, the Palestinians, at the height of their success in these murders, were proclaiming over and over again how they had weak, tired Israel on the point of total collapse and defeat. Jews traditionally are warned against crowing over the defeat of their enemies, and are forbidden to make celebration over taking the lives of other human beings, even our enemies. But what is involved in broadcasting this success loudly is a message not simply to Palestinian Arabs, but to the Islamic Jihadists wherever they are. The message is that this tactic does not work, that the killing of civilians deliberately in this way will bring no victory.
For Israelis, it is again, and should be, another way of repeating the message it has been giving to the Arab world for decades. And that is that through violence and war, the Arab societies will achieve only defeat and destruction. And that the way out of the mess of the Middle East is not through violence, but through a transformation toward recognition that the Jewish people are not strangers here, but are making a new society in their ancient homeland. And that cooperation with them can only bring increasing economic, social and human benefits to the Arab world.
This message should also go out strongly to all the false sympathizers with the Palestinians in the world media, in the United Nations, among most of the nations of the world. It is a message for all those who, instead of demanding of the Palestinians responsibility and humane relationships with their neighbors, have encouraged Palestinian propaganda and lies, their self-justifying myth of their own innocence and victimization at the hands of the Jews. The message Israel should be giving all these 'false sympathizers' is that they have encouraged Evil, and have done harm to the very people they would help.
The suicide bombers should be seen, even by the Palestinians themselves, not as martyrs and heroes, but as murderers whose course of Evil led to the further decline and degradation, both morally and socially, of their own people.
The defeat of the suicide bombers, the world should understand, is the defeat - one defeat, and let us hope not a temporary one - of a form of Evil. This fact is perhaps not to be sung and rejoiced about, but nonetheless, it can be taken by decent people everywhere with a certain relief - and even quiet satisfaction.
