| Terrorism:
Israel and the World | |
Terrorism must be fought. The terrorism
of today, such as suicide bombings in Israel and the suicide hijackings in
the U.S., presents an extremely dangerous threat to the security of all citizens
of the world. In addition, access to high technology and the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction could enable a small terrorist group to create a worldwide
disaster.
The goal of terrorism is to achieve a political goal. The political goal today of terrorist groups in the Middle East is the creation of a Palestinian State on the ruins of the State of Israel.
If terrorism is allowed to achieve this goal or even prove itself to be a more effective way of moving toward this goal than more peaceful means such as negotiations, then terrorism will spread.
According to Jerusalem Post columnist Saul Singer, “Terrorism can be ended by a variety of military and diplomatic means whose common attribute is denying the terrorists what they want.”
Military means for fighting terrorism includes uprooting terrorist infrastructures and overthrowing regimes that either openly or covertly support the growth of terrorist groups. The United States was successful in Afghanistan and would like to continue its work in Iraq. Israel was only partially successful in the Palestinian territories as the world is not ready to remove Arafat from power.
Arafat should, however, be held responsible for the terrorist groups he has directly and indirectly supported as President of the Palestinian Authority.
The world needs to accept the need for a new Palestinian leader who can lead the Palestinian people down the path of peace toward an independent Palestinian State -- a Palestinian State that controls anti-peace terrorist groups, that maintains peaceful relations with the neighboring State of Israel, and that offers its citizens freedom, prosperity, education, health care, democracy, and security.
As long as the Palestinian leadership supports terrorism against Israel, trading land for "peace" would be suicidal for Israel. Once Israel has a true peace partner, then a peace agreement can be achieved. A Middle East peace agreement would mean better lives for millions of people in the Middle East, the resounding defeat of many Middle East terrorist groups, and, consequently, greater security for people worldwide.
On September 11, 2001, the United States learned that stability in the Middle East is not enough to ensure the safety of Americans. Future security for people worldwide, including citizens of moderate Arab countries, depends on uprooting terrorist infrastructures and dethroning regimes that support, in any way, radical Islamic ideology and its promotion of terrorism as a means to achieve political goals.
Today Israel stands, somewhat alone, on the frontlines in the fight against terrorism. The world can either join Israel today and defeat terrorism, or the world can join Israel tomorrow as a victim of this evil.
~ Lisa Katz
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