Everything indicates that in the aftermath of a series of terror attacks Israel still insists on seeing terror as transactional. They attack us, we respond “the same amount” and the Israeli leadership is very careful as to where to apply this exact amount of response.
Israel will never be free of terror if Israel responds on a transactional basis, just as Israel will never be free of rockets if the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister keep announcing how bad it will be for the terrorists if they send one more rocket, and then it”s “not too bad”, as successive “leadership” has done for the past 20 years or more. Gallant announced that “Anyone who attempts even the slightest harm will be brought to justice”. MK Shuster said “when necessary, we know how to attack” For the terrorist these responses are all related, in that they leave it up to the terrorists to decide whether the price is reasonable and worth paying and whether Israel is more talk or more walk.
As a sovereign, with the responsibility to protect its citizens there is only one price option for the lives of its citizens – priceless. Any less would be a price assigned by the terrorists within the terrorists” value system. a pricing structure which includes community adulation and an eternal place in Islamic heaven. This is not a value system a civilized country can countenance. That reduces the options to two, Israel sets the price or allows the terrorists to set the price, the terrorists will choose to pay or not pay the assigned price. There are no other options.
Ah, you might say those are not the only factors in making this decision, this is far more complex. Firstly. the international media, the UN and almost every other nation will condemn Israel. That condemnation is the same whether the response is deemed to be proportional, an entirely undefined and unspecified term, and a return to the transactional concept, or not. Regardless, there are always those who can very authoritatively state that the response is not proportional and even among “friends” like the USA who allow that Israel is allowed to defend itself, the statement is invariably balanced by the opposing voice from within the same source to placate Israel”s enemies. Even-handedness and all.
Secondly, while the negative response is always the same, regardless of the nature and the extent of Israel”s response to terror, the positive response varies only in one place, among the terrorists and the Islamic nations that surround Israel. As much as they are encouraged in their terror by Israel”s lack of response, they equally respect an appropriate response and grudgingly respect Israel when Israel responds appropriately, aggressively, with strength. We have seen former enemies turn to Israel in feigned friendship as the result of an appropriate, unlimited, response to terror and threats.
Everyone understands strength and everyone wants to be on the side of the winner. However, Israel must understand this friendship will only last as long as the strength lasts because the friendship is only based on common interests, not common goals.
Thirdly, it is entirely delusional to think that there will be a good result when the terrorists are left with any choice at all. If Israel”s response leaves them with even a delusion of choice, Israel has failed, because the terrorists” choices are not made within a value system that has any commonality with civilized society. Israel”s response must be such that it leaves the terrorists with no choices. Ideally, that means the terrorist is dead, a distant second is that the terrorist must know he will be surrounded by so much death and destruction it will make any other consideration pale in relation.
Similarly, Israel”s response must be such that the entire world understands that Israel values the life of every one of its citizens beyond limits. Just as saving one life is saving an entire world, taking one life is taking an entire world, and if you take a world from us we will take your world from you – all of it. This is an unlimited deathblow, the only option Israel has. It is not unfair, it is not unjust, it is simply the only response a civilized country can have to terrorism and the terrorist and their entire community must know it, because then they will fear it, so that Israel need not fear terrorism.
Maybe the response to terror is transactional, and the prices, as Sadat commented before meeting Begin are very high. We are waiting to see if the Israeli government understands the value the lives of Rina and Maia, their mother Lucy and the life of Alessandro. Four worlds. Will the terrorists pay?
