Israel's policy of assassination.

In Jerusalem, on March 23, 2004, Israel continued its long-standing policy of killing political opponents with the assassination of the "spiritual" leader of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Hamas is committed to fighting the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank by means of suicide-bombers, as it lacks other means. The group is therefore designated by Israelis--and today also by many Western countries--as terrorists. The latest Hamas attack came at the seaport of Ashod on March 13 with a double suicide-bombing. This claimed the lives of ten Israelis and some 20 wounded. During the following ten days, Israel killed some 61 Palestinians and wounded hundreds, culminating in the execution of Yassin.

Israel's view

Israel has made it clear that it will continue to seek the assassination of all Hamas leaders. Each strike inevitably involves the killing of others, including innocent civilians. The Yassin strike, for example, led to the death of seven other people and a dozen wounded.

The policy was explained by Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz. He and his security chiefs, the National Post reported, had a five-hour meeting on March 22, about killing the entire Hamas leadership without waiting for another attack. He confirmed it the next day. "If we continue in a determined way with our strikes against Hamas and other terror groups with the means outlined, including action against those leaders, we will bring more security to Israeli citizens."

Tzahi Hanegbi, Israel's Police Minister, backed up Mr. Mofaz's message, warning that "anyone who is involved in terrorism in Gaza or the West Bank... knows [now] that no one is immune." The decision on targeting top Hamas officials was first made by Israel's cabinet several months later.

In addition, Israel's army chief has suggested that Mr. Ararat, the Palestinian leader, and Hassan Nasrallah, the chief of the Lebanese guerilla group Hezbollah, will eventually be assassinated by Israel as well.

The Post also reported that the assassination of Sheikh Yassin received majority support in Israel, despite the belief of many that it will spark more violence. The daily Yediot Ahronot published a poll showing 60% of Israelis believe killing Sheikh Yassin was the right thing to do, while 32% thought it was wrong. On the other-hand 81% of Israelis believe the assassination will lead to an increase in attacks, while 15% think it will have no impact; only 3% think it will lead to a decrease in violence. (AP, National Post, March 24/04).

Palestinian view

Leaders of the radical, political/military Palestinian organization Hamas reacted with defiance to the assassination of their spiritual leader. The Hamas executive immediately elected another hardliner as its new leader, Abdel Aziz Rantisi. Mr. Rantisi, a 54-year-old paediatrician, immediately vowed: "We will be unified in the trenches of resistance. We will never surrender to Israeli terror. We have to strengthen the unity of the Palestinians. The continuation of resistance is going to be my goal."

Like Yassin, he sees the struggle as a jihad: "We are the ones who gave our commitment to God and to you, and to continue the holy war in the service of God."

Israelis claim that this holy war calls for the destruction of Israel itself. "All top Hamas members," said the Post, "are pledged to Israel's destruction. However, within the group, there are different views on how to reach the objective." But so far no Palestinian spokesman has made this claim. On television Rantisi only spoke about ending the injustices in Gaza and the West Bank.

Yassin was viewed by several observers--though obviously not by the Israeli government--as a moderating influence because he refused to expand suicide-bombing to areas other than Israel. Those replacing him seem set on continuing, even on accelerating attacks on Israel, but are still committed to restrict it to the Palestine-Israel area.

World reaction

Leaders around the world were taken aback by the Yassin assassination. There were condemnations from Israel's two neighbours with whom it has reasonable good relations, Jordan and Egypt. The European Union, Britain, and Canada condemned it. In the United Nations Security Council, the United States was the exception when it vetoed a condemnatory resolution supported by eleven countries. Throughout the Arab world, Israeli flags were torched.

The reaction of the Muslim world is understandable; that of the Western world more complicated. Perhaps there was the feeling among the latter that the latest targeted assassination has brought the policy to a new and dangerous intensity. Political assassinations during a time of war have not been uncommon. However, they were never elevated to a formal policy and were used only rarely. President John E Kennedy had President Diem of Vietnam assassinated, something which has remained a blot on his record.

Israel, of course, claims it is at war, just as the United States has come to regard terrorist acts against it as acts of a global war. The Israeli and American attitudes seem to run parallel courses. But Israel especially has made it a common way of acting. It used it against the Palestinian Authority (P.A.) a year or two ago, systematically blowing up its police stations and killing or arresting its police officers. After thus destroying the effectiveness of the P.A., it then demanded that its leader, Yasser Arafat, crush Hamas, a by then impossible task, even if Arafat had wanted to follow this line of action. In Israel's eyes, any Palestinian who resists Israel's policies is a terrorist; consequently, members of the P.A. were and are seen as such.

Comments

Israel's policy of targeted assassination should not be accepted. The teaching of hate as a political policy among Muslims is also unacceptable. Both Jews and Muslims are at fault.

Meanwhile, the secularization and hedonism of the West has left Christianity with its teaching of forgiveness and reconciliation on the margins. Yet it is the world's only hope. "Sanctimonious judgments"? That's what a letter to the editor given prominent space in the National Post of March 24 called the Christian position. Like many other letters and opinions elsewhere, the writer exclusively blames the Palestinians while never mentioning that the Jewish occupation of the West Bank is the main source of the troubles.

About the occupation of the West Bank the latest Israeli statistics show that the Jewish settlers have increased to 236,000. Only 236,000? Not really. The Bureau of Statistics doesn't count the 250,000-300,000 Jews now living in the much-expanded East Jerusalem built on expropriated West Bank territory. That is now considered part of Israel and no longer counts as West Bank any longer.

I see no indications that Israel will ever surrender the West Bank. All talk of a Palestinian state is thereby made illusory.

Father Alphonse de Valk is a Catholic priest by vocation and a historian and editor by profession.