Suicide bombers who target civilians are murderers and terrorists. Their actions can never be justified. They are not acting in self-defense as their victims are not aggressive towards them and pose them no direct threat.

In conflict, offense attacks defense. The defense on which the Palestinian terrorists primarily depend are their fellow Palestinians. They move among them, striving to be indistinguishable from them, shoot from behind and among them, and try to fool the Israelis into thinking that they are not what they are--they want to appear to be innocent Palestinians, not terrorists. Waging war in this manner with this type of defense, invites attacks that will harm innocent Palestinians as they are part of the defensive system. Responsibility for placing the innocents in harm's way is on the heads of the terrorists. The terrorists seek to use pressure from other governments and Israel's own moral code to keep themselves safe behind their human shields. This is an indefensible defense.

Militarily, the Palestinians are far less powerful than Israel. When faced with superior power, the least intelligent choice is to attack. To right injustices, the tact that has been most successful in the age of global communications is to publicize them. Apartheid in South Africa, institutionalized racism in the US, and colonialism in India and in African countries, all were ended through persistent and enlightening publicity. There were violent, radical elements at work but they were marginalized by all other parties and did not contribute in significant ways to ending the injustices.

If their goal is justice, the Palestinians are making a horrible, self-defeating choice when they embrace terrorism.  If their goals include not only redress for injustices against them but that they also want to commit their own injustice and destroy the nation of Israel; neither terrorism nor publicity will help. That goal will not be realized and striving for it has and would continue to prevent other goals from being achieved.

© 2002 frantzml@juno.com