e-Letter 203: Those not so magnificent men
and women flying machines
January 17, 2004
Poor Winston Churchill. His famous V sign once powerfully symbolized victory
over the Nazi evil. Years later Arafat has adopted it as his trademark waving
it every time Palestinians blow up Israelis. And the exhibitionist Michael
Jackson uses it as a stage prop symbolizing "victory" when being arraigned and
appearing in court on a child molestation charges. A 1965 film "Those
Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" paid tribute - if comically - to
men who dared to and were able to fly some of the aircraft that lead the way
to modern aviation. Yet, sadly, today's terrorist dream is to have his/her
body parts fly in the air while killing as many Jews and Americans in the
process. And their societies glorify them as magnificent "god-loving human
beings" (notice: not god-fearing).
The ideology of terror is not limited to the
Palestinians, Saudis, Syrians, or the myriad of terror organizations such as
Al-Qaida. It is an overarching theme encompassing the entire Arab and Muslim
world (with strong tentacles into Europe, the U.S., Canada, and Latin America)
that results in horrendous acts of violence. While quick to note that
"killings are against the Koran," terrorists are also quick to either blame
those they fight against for perpetrating the killings or they justify the
killings by suggesting that it is done against the "infidels" - including
Muslims who are "not true to their faith." As is the case in Algeria. These
terror leaders graphically describe their course of action as unsuccessful
unless it is replete with flying body parts ("Interview
with Algerian Terror Leader Associated with Al-Qa'ida: The Islamic State Will
Arise Only Through Blood and Body Parts," MEMRI, Special Dispatch - Jihad
& Terrorism Studies Project, January 13, 2004, No. 642).
Earlier in the week a Palestinian mother of two received "permission" from the
Hamas terror organization ("Report:
Yassin personally authorized woman bomber," JPOST.COM Staff, Jan. 15,
2004) to carry out a homicidal mission at a border crossing with Israel ("From
Mom to Martyr: For First Time, Palestinian Mother Turns Suicide Bomber for
Hamas," Hilary Brown, ABC News, January 14, 2004). Hamas leaders
"promised" more female suicide bombers ("Hamas:
Erez female bomber is just the beginning," JPOST.COM Staff, Jan. 15, 2004)
and will probably be the first to complain about difficulties imposed for
security checks.
This particular female was the first such to work
for Hamas and immediately was lionized by Arabs as a hero ("Palestinians
hail female bomber as hero," Ibrahim Barzak, Associated Press, January 15,
2004). As the Algerian ideologue promoted the flying of body parts she
carried out her mission the same way a previous Palestinian woman in the West
Bank did hers more than a year ago receiving the same horrifying worship from
the well-oiled (pun-intended) machines of death ("Palestinians
Hail Woman Bomber In Symbolic Funeral," Mohammed Assadi, Rense.com,
1-31-1).
Given the terror act was carried out at a border crossing that controls the
entry into Israel of thousands of Palestinian workers, it is obvious that the
damage was intended for the Palestinians who will suffer from the border
crossing's closure and from tougher security measures. Thus they not only kill
Israelis but also harm their own people and destroy any chance of an agreement
materializing for a diplomatic solution accepted by the Israeli public ("The
sick, crying terrorist," Editorial, Haartez, January 16, 2004). Although,
in anticipation of such impact, the Israeli authorities intend to reopen the
crossing as quickly as possible ("Security
establishment to open Erez checkpoint on Sunday," Amos Harel, Haaretz,
15/01/2004).
An individual does not just wake one morning
deciding to blow themselves up. In this case it is clear that she was
dispatched by her handlers. Each of these death missions is carried out
against a backdrop of hateful indoctrination. This mother stated she wants to
see her body parts flying and she wants to "knock on the doors of paradise
with the skulls of Jews." She was not the original author but read the text
written to her by Hamas ideologues who have posted this moto on their web site
("Hamas: We will use
Jewish skulls to build a bridge to Heaven," IDF, December 16th, 2002).
For all those who hope that with Arafat gone the
situation will improve ("Is
it too late for Arafat to seize the chance of peace?" George Kerevan , The
Scottsman, January 12, 2004) all they need to do is read the comments of a
father of a suicide bomber whose charge went off "prematurely" (namely, before
killing many Israelis he - and his handlers - targeted). The father laments
the waste of his "talented" son on an unsuccessful mission ("Parents of dead
17 year-old criticize only the poor planning that led to son's suicide death,"
Itamar Marcus, Palestinian Media
Watch Bulletin, January 16, 2004). This provides a sordid illustration as
to how much terrorism has been routinized ("The
Routinization of Terror," P. David Hornik, FrontPageMagazine.com, January
16, 2004).
Thus far terrorism has exerted a serious enough
toll in life and property on Israel but did not break its resilience. But the
terrorists were very successful in intimidating their Arab brethren who are
not Muslim. Indeed the Christian Arabs have literally fled the area with only
small remnants still staying. Beth Lehem is a good example of turning from an
80% Christian majority to an 80% Muslim majority in a period of 50 years ("Mideast:
Christian-free zone?" Joseph Farah, WorldNetDaily.com, December 30, 2003).
But that does not mean that past failure is a
deterrent to Palestinian efforts to annihilate Israel either by wars waged by
Arab countries or by purposeful attacks on Israeli civilian. It is also
evident that despite such efforts most Israelis have been seeking peace and
are willing to make painful compromises to achieve it as they have proved with
Egypt and their generous offer to Syria that was rejected in 2000 ("A
veritable army of lies," Barry Rubin, The Jerusalem Post, Jan. 12, 2004).
The terrorism the world currently experiences is
far different than its predecessors - particularly the one typical to the
Europan and Japanese 1970s. The Europeans decided to aggressively target the
terrorist and successfully arrested most of them and effectively disbanded
them. But as a noted criminologist writes in an insightful article ("What
Makes a Terrorist?" James Q. Wilson, City Journal, Winter 2004): "Islamic
terrorism poses a much more difficult challenge. These terrorists live and
work among people sympathetic to their cause. Those arrested will be replaced;
those killed will be honored. Opinion polls in many Islamic nations show great
support for anti-Israeli and anti-American terrorists. Terrorists live in a
hospitable river. We may have to cope with the river."
Indeed, as Wilson notes, "The relentless
vilification of Jews, Israel, and Zionism by much of the Muslim press and in
many Muslim schools has produced a level of support for terrorism that vastly
exceeds the backing that American or European terrorists ever enjoyed. Over 75
percent of all Palestinians support the current intifada and endorse the 2003
bombing of Maxim, a restaurant in Haifa. With suicide bombers regarded as
martyrs, the number of new recruits has apparently increased. The river of
support for anti-Israel terror is much wider and deeper than what the
Baader-Meinhof gang received."
But his most important conclusion combines the
social support with the fact that terrorists do not act in a vacuum and hence
attributing to them traits of insanity is not helpful in understanding their
motivation: "The central fact about terrorists is not that they are deranged,
but that they are not alone. Among Palestinians, they are recruited by Hamas,
the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, among others.
In Singapore, their recruitment begins with attendance at religious schools.
If ardent and compliant, they are drawn into Jemaah Islamiyah, where they
associate with others like themselves. Being in the group gives each member a
sense of special esteem and exclusivity, reinforced by the use of secrecy,
code names, and specialized training. Then they are offered the chance to be
martyrs if they die in a jihad. Everywhere, leaders strengthen the bombers'
commitment by isolating them in safe houses and by asking them to draft last
testaments and make videotapes for their families, in which they say
farewell."
Regrettably the European Union funds antisemitism
by the millions it awards the Palestinian Authority which then uses the money
to incubate its industry of hate in schools, mosques, and media ("The
EU directly funds anti-Semitism," Kevin Myers, The Dailey Telegraph,
11/01/2004).
While the U.S. (and Israel) continue to forward
funds to assist the Palestinians (although at reduced levels constantly trying
to make certain the funds are not used for terrorism) they are the direct
targets of Palestinian terror as well as sophisticated funding campaigns for
terror purposes as well as an even more sophisticated campaign to silence the
media and true moderate Muslims while posing as "mainstream" (Islam in
America, Part 3 - "Masquerading
as 'mainstream:' How extremist Muslims intimidate press, true moderates into
silence," Sherrie Gossett, WorldNet Dailey, January 6, 2004).
The radicals have taken over moderate Muslim groups, replaced preachers in
mosques, and have positioned themselves into "representation" of American
Muslims for purposes of shaping public opinion. This resulted in successfully
silencing any voice of moderation and in taking over the Muslim narrative in
the US as part of an overall campaign against the U.S. while taking advantage
of its freedom and values.
Against this backdrop it is encouraging to see
that an influential African-American entertainer has coauthored an article to
denounce antisemitism in the US and Europe. So much so that the Israeli paper
reporting it did so even prior to the actual publication of the article ("Hip-hop
star joins anti-Semitism fight," Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz, January 14,
2004). This may be somewhat helpful in providing security to American Jews
particularly given the fact that insufficient proactive security measure were
taken up by the community itself ("Communal
Security Lax, Terror Experts, Leaders Warn at a N.Y. Meeting: Public
Discussion Represents a Marked Shift," Nathaniel Popper, Forward, JANUARY
16, 2004).
Denunciations of antisemitism are very important
and this may be the first swallow to announce spring but in order to combat
the vile antisemitism that is emanating out of Arab and Islamic corners it is
important it first be exposed for what it is. Marketed mostly for Arab and
Muslim audiences, westerners have little knowledge of the nature, extent, and
impact of the force of this Arab/Muslim modern version of antisemitism ("Countering
Arab Antisemitism," Menahem Milson, World Jewish Congress, Policy Forum
#27).
Yet this is an uphill battle. Witness the diplomatic ruckus in Sweden when
the Israeli Ambassador was invited to an "art" exhibition in Stockholm to find
a display glorifying the female suicide bomber who sent her body part flying
killing scores in a the Maxim restaurant in Haifa last October. The diplomat
added to the artistic expression by unplugging the lights on it and throwing
one of the lights into the pool of red water ("FM
backs ambassador to Sweden who wrecked suicide bomber exhibit," JPOST.COM
Staff, Jan. 17, 2004).
Irrespective of one's opinion about the diplomatic
or undiplomatic conduct of the ambassador (an Israeli Arab member of
parliament already called to demote the ambassador although he is yet to
denounce terrorism), what complicates matters further is that it is not so
simple to blame the Swedes. While their government has "organizational
responsibility" as the exhibition's official host, the artist is a
pro-Palestinian (yes you may have guessed it)... Israeli. And Israeli art
museums have displayed material far more offensive than that.
While this byzantine fact makes matters more
difficult than perhaps warranted, it should not detract attention from the
realities and challenges so eloquently enumerated by James Q. Wilson. The
Hamas threat of using more female homicidal machines is to be taken seriously
as should the ideology that supports and glorifies this atrocious conduct.
Useful idiots (including "artists") notwithstanding should not be allowed to
dictate the interpretation of the terror narrative and they should be fought
as aggressively as the green houses that breed terror.
© Robbie Friedmann,
Ph.D.
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