JINSA Report #526 It was NOT Retaliation

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October 27, 2005

JINSA Report #526

It was NOT Retaliation

Palestinian Islamic Jihad "took responsibility" for the explosion in
Hadera that killed five and wounded more than 20 yesterday, claiming
retaliation for the killing earlier this week of a top Islamic Jihad
leader by the IDF. In the State Department briefing on the subject, the
usual platitudes were uttered by the spokesman – who then had to deal
with no fewer than eight incarnations of the questions, "What will this
do to the peace process? Couldn't we have foreseen this bombing because
it was retaliation for an Israeli targeted assassination? If they (the
Israelis) are able to assassinate them, can't they also arrest them
instead of escalating the violence? Doesn't the U.S. oppose such
assassinations?"

The spokesman responded several times with the point that the U.S.
position on "that" (declining to use the term) was "well known and
hasn't changed." While we are pleased that he didn't allow the reporters
to blame Israel, we do wish he had addressed the points. We will do it
for him.

1) The bombing was not retaliation for the killing of Luay Sa'adi on
Sunday. Experts in Israel have described the process by which suicide
bombings are planned – the selection of a target and a bomber, the guide
for the bomber, the car, moving the explosives into place, the trial
runs, the escape plan for the guide, etc. It takes a minimum of two to
three weeks to put it together. And for every bomber that succeeds, a
great many others have been stopped in various stages of planning or
executing the crime. PIJ, Hamas, Fatah, et. al., bomb what and who they
can when they can. It is only serendipity if the timing for a successful
attack works out so they can try to hang the responsibility on the victim.

2) The U.S. does not approve of Israel's narrowly focused removal of PIJ
and Hamas leaders hiding among civilians, hoping to be protected by
Israel's unwillingness to inflict collateral damage. We would argue that
such strikes removed the top leadership of Hamas, producing periods of
calm that have permitted the political process to continue.
Interestingly, the State Department appears to have no position on the
targeted killing of Palestinians accused of "collaboration with Israel"
without the benefit of trial, never mind the benefit of evidence (see
JINSA Reports 203, 204, 276 and 470).

3) On the question of "can't they just arrest them?" the answer should
be "no." Israel in under no obligation to sacrifice its soldiers by
sending them into the narrow, hostile streets of Palestinian cities to
knock on a door and serve an arrest warrant. Terrorists deserve no such
polite request. Targeted strikes prevent the collateral damage to which
the world objects, and protects the soldiers.

Media references to a Hamas/PIJ "ceasefire" that came to an end in
Hadera miss the point and so did the State Department spokesman. There
has been no ceasing of fire by Palestinian terrorists determined to kill
Israelis – there have been continuing mortars and shootings, and now the
successful suicide bomber. Israel's defensive measures, including the
security fence and targeted strikes, have simply made it harder for
terrorists to reach their intended victims. For that, Israelis are no
doubt grateful and the State Department should not feel defensive.

To view this JINSA Report online click on the link below.
http://www.jinsa.org/JINSAReports/3202

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