Terrorism must be beaten, not appeased
Terrorism must be beaten, not appeased
Solving the terror problem
Yoram Ettinger, YNET News
[...]Restraint with regard to terrorists trying to destroy us is neither a moral or strategic merit. Rather, it is an expression of suicidal fatigue. There is no measured or moderate answer to a radical threat. The lesson of the past 12 years requires us to change the way we fight terror:
1. Put a stop to moral fuzziness, which gives a green light to murderous terrorism as if it were a partner to the peace process, and the elimination of the legitimization of its existence are a condition for strategic clarity and victory on the battlefield.
2. Uprooting hate education from kindergartens, elementary schools, universities, mosques and official media – education which creates the suicide bombers and are an expression of the PA's strategy - are essential if terror is to be disconnected from its oxygen source.
3. Quick, offensive, preventive war in areas breeding terror, not a war of attrition of targeted assassinations, targeted and temporary operations, defensive and reactive. Showing disproportional strength to renew our deterrent ability for the long term.
4. Definitive war to eliminate the political – ideological – fiscal infrastructure that feeds terrorism, rather than ceasefires and coexistence with terrorism.
5. Wars are not won by remote control (artillery, missiles or helicopters), but rather by controlling territory and people that breed terror.
6. Pulling the IDF and Shin Bet intelligence service out of Gaza and cities in the West Bank and granting control to the PA did much to fan the flames of terror. Bringing the army back to the cities reduced terrorism by 90 percent! Control of territory significantly reduces the terrorist's ability to incite, enlist, train, create, smuggle, plan and execute. It also strengthens Israel's ability to deter, gather intelligence, prevent attacks and respond to them.
7. The war on terror must not be placed in the hands of outside bodies such as the Quartet, Egypt, the United States, Italian inspectors or Turkish security guards). Terrorism is not something to complain about, but rather something to be destroyed, while displaying "zero tolerance" for every potential expression of terrorism.
8. We must not negotiate any more agreements with any body that systematically and murderously breaks every agreement it signs. You don't negotiate with terrorists. You eliminate terrorism.
9. The Geneva Convention says that human shields do not override the rights of self-defense. The responsibility for civilian casualties is clearly on the shoulders of terrorists who use Palestinian civilians as human shields. This is what every Western country does.
A country that allows terrorism to determine the national agenda is doomed to die.
Only a leadership that is prepared to dramatically change the Oslo-Hebron-Wye-Road Map -Disengagement menu has any hope of preventing a fatal clash of the Titanic with the iceberg.
This change may cost us politically and economically in the short term, but in the long term it will lead to security, economic, social and diplomatic improvements, as has been proven by even tougher tests we've gone through.
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Yoram Ettinger is a former Israeli consul general in Texas and worked in the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C.
Posted by Ted Belman at January 5, 2006 10:58 PM
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1.
Bill Narvey
said:
Yoram Ettinger in concise point form reflects the thinking of many posters to Israpundit.
Sharon's unilateral disengagement decision was on his own ticket and it took the world by surprise. In spite of considerable criticism that such plan would be seen by Palestinians and Arabs as a sign of weakness and only encourage more terrorism, Sharon managed to gain majority support for that decision.
Though there is much evidence suggesting that Sharon's critics were right, there is also evidence mounting that without the Israeli presence in Gaza, Palestinians are in a self destruct mode as various terrorist factions war against each other and Palestinian society is descending into chaos, giving greater expression to their Jew hatred, making it appear that Palestinians are incapable of running their own affairs, let alone an independent state and the goal of peace at the end of the Road Map to peace seems more remote than ever. Perhaps Sharon envisioned just such a result which would convince the world finally that Israeli concessions are leading nowhere.
There is no disputing that Sharon's stature in Israel stood him head and shoulders above all others aspiring for leadership regardless of how he was viewed.
With Sharon unfortunately falling seriously ill, there is more shock and confusion on the Israeli political scene than clarity as to who has what it takes to seize the reins of power and lead Israel forward on a path of strength and security and away from the uncertain path Israel has been pressured to follow along.
If Israelis are to heed Yoram Ettinger's views, they will have to look for their new leader in the company of hawks and not doves.
Posted by: Bill Narvey on January 6, 2006 12:25 AM
2.
BobW
said:
Are the terrorists the cause of the =suicidal fatigue= ? It's nearly 6 decades with Israel not have a modern parliamentary type government - let alone a Jewish government.
The barbarians' mass murders are just a manifestation of Israel's real existential problem. After all, other countries, post WWII, fought wars with Arabs and terrorism in Indonesia, Thailand, Morocco and India isn't with a Jewish component.
To:
"1. put a stop to.."
"2. uprooting hate education.." (Don't believe CG Ettinger is referencing Shas Yeshevas.)
"preventive war" ... ... "Defensive war to..."
...
...
...
"We must not negotiate"
requires a modern Parliamentary-type Jewish government in place. Even if Israel was a sleepy back-water like Irrawaddy, Burma, Israel will decline from economic depravation.
The common denominators must be dealt with and not the multitude of enemies of the Jews. It's not "only a leadership". Citizen participation is also required. The current Latvia 1930 on the eastern Mediterranian has not worked, is not working and the future can be found in the Tenakh.
Kol tuv,
BobW
Posted by: BobW on January 6, 2006 07:17 AM
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Terrorism must be beaten, not appeased
Solving the terror problem
Yoram Ettinger, YNET News
[...]Restraint with regard to terrorists trying to destroy us is neither a moral or strategic merit. Rather, it is an expression of suicidal fatigue. There is no measured or moderate answer to a radical threat. The lesson of the past 12 years requires us to change the way we fight terror:
A country that allows terrorism to determine the national agenda is doomed to die.
Only a leadership that is prepared to dramatically change the Oslo-Hebron-Wye-Road Map -Disengagement menu has any hope of preventing a fatal clash of the Titanic with the iceberg.
This change may cost us politically and economically in the short term, but in the long term it will lead to security, economic, social and diplomatic improvements, as has been proven by even tougher tests we've gone through.
--------------------------------------------------------
Yoram Ettinger is a former Israeli consul general in Texas and worked in the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C.
Posted by Ted Belman at January 5, 2006 10:58 PM