DOCSLIB.ORG

Publishing and Distribution of Hamas Incitement

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Publishing and Distribution of Hamas Incitement Intelligence and Terrorism Information August 20, 2007 Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC) Britain remains a major source of publishing and distribution of Hamas incitement. Despite increasing public awareness of the threat posed by radical Islam, the British authorities do not stop the distribution of hateful propaganda against Israel and the West and publications glorifying suicide terrorism. Overview 1. The Hamas movement places great importance on the use of written and electronic media as a key tool in the battle for hearts and minds. Its “media empire” includes a satellite television channel, newspapers, a radio station, websites in eight languages, and a publishing house. Hamas uses its media to spread radical Islam and to glorify violence and terrorism to various target audiences in the Palestinian Authority administered territories, in the Arab/Muslim world, and among Arab/Muslim communities in the West. 2. The center of the Hamas “media empire”, guided from Damascus and assisted by Arab countries, is in the Gaza Strip. That media empire has a branch operating in Britain and uses it for printing and distribution of Hamas publications. Such publications include: a. The monthly Filastin al-Muslimah: Hamas’s major publication since 1981, available in paper edition and in Internet edition. The monthly spreads incitement and hatred against Israel and the West in the spirit of Hamas’s ideology, while preaching terrorism and glorifying its masterminds and perpetrators. 2 b. The online bi-weekly Al-Fateh: this newspaper is geared towards children, whom Hamas considers a highly significant target audience. Similarly to other children’s publications, Al-Fateh is designed to inculcate them with radical Islam and educate them in violence and terrorism from a young age. c.A publishing house named Filastin al-Muslimah Publications: it is a publishing house associated with the Filastin al-Muslimah monthly. It has published books commemorating terrorists and Hamas seniors responsible for planning and initiating terrorist attacks, focusing on suicide terrorism. 3. Hamas’s use of Britain as a major source of publishing and distribution of incitement is hardly coincidental, even though the movement keeps its activity in Britain on a low profile. It is our assessment that there are several factors at play: first, the policy of the British government, allowing Hamas (and radical Islamic elements in general) a relative freedom of action on British territory, particularly in the sphere of propaganda; second, the existence of a network of Arab/Muslim supporters in Britain; third, the technical ability to produce high quality publications in Britain and distribute them across the globe. 4. Following the terrorist attacks perpetrated or thwarted on British territory in recent years, the British government is becoming increasingly aware of the threats posed by radical Islam. However, the British authorities have yet to take effective action to put an end to the exploitation of their country by Hamas for spreading incitement. At issue are radical Islamic indoctrination and glorifying terrorism that could strike a chord not only with Palestinian or Arab/Muslim target audiences worldwide but also with the Muslim community in Britain itself. 5. The appendices that follow contain short summaries about the Hamas newspapers and publishing house in Britain, as well as examples of articles inspiring hatred and preaching terrorism. 3 AAAppppppeeennndddiiixxx AAA TTThhheee mmmooonnnttthhhlllyyy FFFiiilllaaassstttiiinnn aaalll---MMMuuusssllliiimmmaaahhh OOOvvveeerrrvvviiieeewww 1. Filastin al-Muslimah is the major publication of the Hamas movement. It first started in 1981 as a British students’ publication on behalf of the Muslim Palestinian youth organization in Britain. In 1991, it started appearing regularly every month. In the 1990s, its editorial staff was situated in Jordan. In 1999, as the Hamas offices in Jordan were shut down, the editorial staff relocated to Syria and, from there, to Britain. 2. One of the first editors-in-chief of Filastin al-Muslimah was Dr. Atef Adwan, an old-time Hamas activist, who studied for his Master’s degree and PhD in Political Science in Britain (1983-1987). Atef Adwan served as Sheikh Yassin’s advisor, was held in prison in Israel, and was the Minister of Refugee Affairs in the previous Hamas government (until the establishment of the unity government in March 2007). Dr. Atef Adwan, one of the editors-in-chief of Filastin al-Muslimah in the publication’s early days 3. From Britain, the monthly spreads the Hamas ideology and political messages to the Palestinian Authority-administered territories, to the 4 Arab/Muslim world and to Muslim communities in the West. Those messages include hatred against Israel and the West, incitement to violence and terrorism, and ideological sympathy with global jihad and radical Islam. The propaganda policy of the monthly is directed by the Hamas leadership in Damascus. Formerly, the propaganda was directed by Abd al-Aziz al-Umari, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau (who may be still involved with the publication). From Britain, the monthly is distributed worldwide in Internet edition1 and most probably also in paper edition. 4. In order to avoid unwanted attention from the British security services, in 2004 Filastin al-Muslimah stopped publishing its address in Britain on the front page. We do not have an up-to-date address of the monthly, which only publishes its e-mail address. Even now, however, there are indications that it is still published from Britain: the following text appears at the top of the list of countries where the newspaper is sold: “Britain and European countries”; the subscription fee of the newspaper worldwide is quoted in pounds sterling rather than in the local currency. The upper part of the front page of Filastin al-Muslimah (August 2007). The address of the monthly is not shown. Center: the monthly’s website and e-mail addresses. Left: subscription fees in various countries: “Britain and European countries, the US, Canada, Australia, and other countries of the world”. The fees are quoted in pounds sterling. The text on the right says that the editor-in-chief is Rafat Ahmed Saleh. The name of Abd al-Aziz al-Umari no longer appears in Filastin al-Muslimah, a fact which, as we believe, is meant to downplay its association with Hamas. 1 The website of the monthly is www.fm-m.com. Its Internet Service Provider is a Malaysian company. 5 The Filastin al-Muslimah address in Britain, previously found on the front page, no longer appears in the monthly EEExxxaaammmpppllleeesss ooofff aaarrrtttiiicccllleeesss ggglllooorrriiifffyyyiiinnnggg sssuuiiiccciiidddeee ttteeerrrrrrooorrriiisssmmm aaannnddd tttuuurrrnnniiinnnggg iiitttsss pppeeerrrpppeeetttrrraaatttooorrrsss aaannnddd mmmaaasssttteeerrrmmmiiinnndddsss iiinnntttooo rrrooollleee mmmooodddeeelllsss An article on Salah Shehada, the founder of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas operative-terrorist wing in the Gaza Strip. The article praises Salah Shehada, responsible for many suicide bombing attacks in Israel (Filastin al-Muslimah, August 2007) 6 A regular column in Filastin al-Muslimah titled “[Memorial] Lights of Martyrdom” (Qanadil al-Shahada). The column commemorates the terrorist members of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, turning them into role models to be followed (Filastin al- Muslimah, August 2007). A photograph showing a performance of the Hamas-associated Al-Aqsa Hawks band, with a photograph of Yahya Ayyash (“the Engineer”, the mastermind behind many suicide bombing attacks perpetrated by Hamas) in the background. On the right is a model of a burned down bus, symbolizing the favorite targets of the suicide bombing attacks masterminded by Yahya Ayyash. The photograph appeared in an article praising Yahya Ayyash and the terrorist attacks of his planning (Filastin al- Muslimah, January 2006). 7 A full-page poster in the June 2003 issue of Filastin al-Muslimah commemorating suicide bombers who were members of the Izz al- Din al-Qassam Brigades, thus glorifying suicide bombers as role models. An extensive article on the suicide bombing attack at Mike’s Place, on the Tel-Aviv promenade, perpetrated by two British nationals of Pakistani descent dispatched by Hamas (April 30, 2003). Three Israelis were killed and more than 60 were wounded in the attack. The title reads: “[The Israelis] fear the Muslims”; the title below reads: “Following the Tel-Aviv action, Zionists fear that Muslims [from across the globe] will join the Palestinian resistance” (Filastin al-Muslimah, June 2003). 8 AAAppppppeeennndddiiixxx BBB TTThhheee bbbiii---wwweeeeeekkklllyyy AAAlll---FFFaaattteeehhh,,, gggeeeaaarrreeeddd tttooowwaaarrrdddsss ccchhhiiillldddrrreeennn aaannnddd ttteeeeeennnaaagggeeerrrsss Photographs of children carrying arms designed to inculcate them with the value of armed struggle against Israel (from a column titled “The Children of Palestine” on the Al-Fateh website) 1.The Hamas movement pays particular attention to children, whom it considers to be a highly significant target audience and a pool of the movement’s future generations of terrorist operatives. Al-Fateh is a newspaper that spreads the Hamas ideology and political messages, combining them with articles and illustrations designed for children. The first issues were published in 2002, first as a monthly and then as a bi-weekly newspaper. It is now an online newspaper, although it was formerly available
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Using a Civil Suit to Punish/Deter Sponsors of Terrorism: Connecting Arafat & the PLO to the Terror Attacks in the Second In
    Digital Commons at St. Mary's University Faculty Articles School of Law Faculty Scholarship 2014 Using a Civil Suit to Punish/Deter Sponsors of Terrorism: Connecting Arafat & the PLO to the Terror Attacks in the Second Intifada Jeffrey F. Addicott St. Mary's University School of Law, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.stmarytx.edu/facarticles Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Jeffrey F. Addicott, Using a Civil Suit to Punish/Deter Sponsors of Terrorism: Connecting Arafat & the PLO to the Terror Attacks in the Second Intifada, 4 St. John’s J. Int’l & Comp. L. 71 (2014). This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Law Faculty Scholarship at Digital Commons at St. Mary's University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Articles by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons at St. Mary's University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. USING A CIVIL SUIT TO PUNISH/DETER SPONSORS OF TERRORISM: CONNECTING ARAFAT & THE PLO TO THE TERROR ATTACKS IN THE SECOND INTIFADA Dr. Jeffery Addicott* INTRODUCTION “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”1 -Edmund Burke As the so-called “War on Terror” 2 continues, it is imperative that civilized nations employ every possible avenue under the rule of law to punish and deter those governments and States that choose to engage in or provide support to terrorism.3 *∗Professor of Law and Director, Center for Terrorism Law, St. Mary’s University School of Law.
    [Show full text]
  • Backgrounder on Hamas
    APPENDIX F International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy (Canada) Backgrounder on Hamas Appendix F – Backgrounder on Hamas1 Hamas is a radical Sunni terrorist organization that employs political and violent means to pursue the goal of establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in Israel.2 The origins of the movement lie with the Muslim Brotherhood,3 an Islamist organization founded in Egypt in 1928, and led by early Islamist figures such as Hassan el-Banna and Sayyid Qutb. Starting in 1967 and continuing throughout the 1970’s, the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood gained popularity amongst the people of Gaza via communal activism, religious preaching and education.4 With the outbreak of the first intifada5 against Israel in 1987, the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood moved beyond its basis as a social and religious group establishing Hamas as an Islamist alternative to the secular nationalist resistance led by the PLO. Through its Charter, Hamas clearly states its objectives of establishing an Islamic state in all of Palestine. To realize this goal, the organization relies upon the use of violent jihad, the education of the Palestinian population in its Islamist ideology, providing social services, and promoting the liberation of the “Palestinian land” as an individual duty of Muslims everywhere. Objectives, Strategies, and Structure In its Charter, Hamas describes itself as a “distinct Palestinian Movement which owes its loyalty to Allah, derives from Islam its way of life and strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch
    [Show full text]
  • Fatah and Hamas: the New Palestinian Factional Reality
    Order Code RS22395 March 3, 2006 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Fatah and Hamas: the New Palestinian Factional Reality Aaron D. Pina Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary For the first time in its history, the Palestinian parliament is set to be led by Hamas, which the United States and European Union have designated a foreign terrorist organization. Although some lauded the generally free and fair election in January 2006, others criticized the outcome and accused Hamas of “hijacking” democracy. This report provides an overview of the new political realities in the West Bank and Gaza after the election, the challenges Fatah and Hamas face, and possible implications for U.S. policy. This report will be updated as warranted. For more information on the Palestinians, see CRS Report RL33269, Palestinian Elections, by Aaron D. Pina, CRS Issue Brief IB91137 The Middle East Peace Talks, by Carol Migdalovitz, and CRS Report RS22370, U.S. Assistance to the Palestinians, by Jeremy M. Sharp. Background On January 25, 2006, Palestinians voted in parliamentary elections and Hamas emerged as the clear winner, with 74 out of 132 parliamentary seats. Fatah, the dominant party in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), won 45 seats, and 13 seats went to other minor parties. Since then, several governments, including the United States, have cautioned that unless Hamas disavows terrorism, recognizes Israel, and accepts all previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements, diplomatic and economic relations with the Palestinian Authority may be circumscribed or ended altogether. Hamas1 During the 1970s and 1980s, Palestinians experienced a rise in political Islam, embodied in Hamas, founded in 1987 by the late Sheik Ahmad Yasin.
    [Show full text]
  • The London School of Economics and Political Science
    The London School of Economics and Political Science Conceptualising Suicide Bombings and Rethinking International Relations Theory: The Case of Hamas, 1987-2006 Rashmi Singh A thesis submitted to the Department of International Relations of the London School of Economics for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, London, July 2008 UMI Number: U615475 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U615475 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ■ rc s g e s F g ^ l \ 12 ^ 0 % im 'zoT - Battles “They'll wake up in the morning And they will fight. That which you saw last night was my dream The other will answer: no, it was my dream They will gently retrieve two pistols From the sides of the same pillow And at the same moment They will fire” - Salvos of Mercy From a selection of poems by Ibrahim Nasrallah Translated by Ibrahim Muhawi Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it).
    [Show full text]
  • Attacking the Leader, Missing the Mark Attacking the Leader, Jenna Jordan Missing the Mark Why Terrorist Groups Survive Decapitation Strikes
    Attacking the Leader, Missing the Mark Attacking the Leader, Jenna Jordan Missing the Mark Why Terrorist Groups Survive Decapitation Strikes Does leadership de- capitation lead to the demise of terrorist organizations? Can the United States undermine or destroy terrorist organizations such as al-Qaida by arresting or killing their leaders? What explains organizational resilience to leadership tar- geting? Leadership decapitation, or the killing or capturing of the leaders of terrorist organizations, has become a core feature of U.S. counterterrorism policy. Many scholars and analysts claim that it weakens terrorist organiza- tions and reduces the threat they pose. Unsurprisingly, they saw the killing of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, in Abbottabad, Pakistan, as a major tactical victory for President Barack Obama and for the broader war on terrorism. De- spite the success of this operation and subsequent attacks on al-Qaida leaders, decapitation is unlikely to diminish the ability of al-Qaida to continue its activ- ities in the long run. Rather, it may have counterproductive consequences, em- boldening or strengthening the organization. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States has killed or captured many al-Qaida leaders as part of a general campaign to de- capitate the organization. It has employed a variety of military operations to achieve this objective, including raids by Special Operations forces. Both bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, were killed as a result of such raids. On October 5, 2012, U.S. forces captured Abu Anas al-Libi, an al-Qaida leader, in a raid in Libya.
    [Show full text]
  • Leadership Decapitation: Israeli Counterterrorism Policy and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad
    European Scientific Journal February 2014 /SPECIAL/ edition vol.2 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e - ISSN 1857- 7431 LEADERSHIP DECAPITATION: ISRAELI COUNTERTERRORISM POLICY AND THE PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD Scott Nicholas Romaniuk School of Security and Global Studies American Military University, United States Abstract The specific conditions under which terrorist decapitation results in the dissolution of the terrorist group and other short- and long-term effects of this tactic are some of the critical questions that require further attention given that states such as the US and Israel are sure to employ this tactic to considerable means in the near and distant future, particularly given the vague framework of the unending nature of War on Terror (WOT) that has helped produce numerous loopholes that enable the undertaking of precision acts that are often characterized as “discriminate wars” (Schmitt, 2005). In this paper I argue that in spite of short-term success for Israel, the PIJ was able to reorient itself from the shock of losing its leader. This is demonstrated not only by it ongoing service to violent terrorist means, but also due in part to its increased use of suicide bombings that have result in a greater loss of life since the events of 1995 as well as the escalation of suicide terrorism (ST) by other terrorist groups and organizations in the region and further abroad. Keywords: “Discriminate Wars,” effectiveness, radicalization, suicide terrorism (ST), terrorist cells Introduction One of the key features of states’ counterterrorism (CT) policies has been the targeted killing of terrorist operatives, including those operating in a leadership capacity.
    [Show full text]
  • Israeli Counterterrorism Against Palestinian Suicide Bombings and Violence
    THE BEGIN-SADAT CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES BAR-ILAN UNIVERSITY Mideast Security and Policy Studies No. 70 Motivation or Capabilities? Israeli Counterterrorism against Palestinian Suicide Bombings and Violence Hillel Frisch © The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel http://www.besacenter.org ISSN 0793-1042 December 2006 The Begin-Sadat (BESA) Center for Strategic Studies The BESA Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University was founded by Dr. Thomas O. Hecht, a Canadian Jewish community leader. The Center is dedicated to the memory of Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, who concluded the first Arab-Israel peace agreement. The Center, a non-partisan and independent institute, seeks to contribute to the advancement of Middle East peace and security by conducting policy-relevant research on strategic subjects, particularly as they relate to the national security and foreign policy of Israel. Mideast Security and Policy Studies serve as a forum for publication or re-publication of research conducted by BESA associates. Publication of a work by BESA signifies that it is deemed worthy of public consideration but does not imply endorsement of the author's views or conclusions. BESA Colloquia on Strategy and Diplomacy summarize the papers delivered at conferences and seminars held by the Center, for the academic, military, official and general publics. In sponsoring these discussions, the BESA Center aims to stimulate public debate on, and consideration of, contending approaches to problems of peace and war in the Middle East. A listing of recent BESA publications can be found at the end of this booklet.
    [Show full text]
  • The Palestinian Shahid and the Development of the Model 21St Century Islamic Terrorist
    California State University, San Bernardino CSUSB ScholarWorks Theses Digitization Project John M. Pfau Library 2008 The Palestinian Shahid and the development of the model 21st century Islamic terrorist Benjamin Timothy Acosta Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project Part of the Terrorism Studies Commons Recommended Citation Acosta, Benjamin Timothy, "The Palestinian Shahid and the development of the model 21st century Islamic terrorist" (2008). Theses Digitization Project. 3367. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3367 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the John M. Pfau Library at CSUSB ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses Digitization Project by an authorized administrator of CSUSB ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE PALESTINIAN SHAHID AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF 'THE MODEL 2.1st CENTURY ISLAMIC' TERRORIST A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University, San Bernardino In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in National Security Studies by Benjamin Timothy Acosta June 2008 THE PALESTINIAN SHAHID AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODEL 21st CENTURY ISLAMIC TERRORIST A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University, San Bernardino by Benjamin Timothy Acosta June 2008 Approved by: Date © 2008 Benjamin T. Acosta ABSTRACT Since the early 1990s, Palestinian organizations have drawn from many sources and incrementally refined the process of suicide terrorism. By making the modus operandi socially acceptable and even fashionable, Palestinian organizations have normalized the deployment of suicide­ homicide bombers. These organizations have optimized the progress individuals take from reasoning and justifying to rationalizing and actually committing suicide terrorism.
    [Show full text]
  • Occupied Palestinian Territories
    COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES 6 AUGUST 2009 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE PALESTINE 6 AUGUST 2009 ContentsU PrefaceH LatestH news EH VENTS IN OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES H FROM 16 JUNE TO 5 AUGUST 2009 RH EPORTS ON THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES H PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 16 JUNE AND 5 AUGUST 2009 Paragraphs BackgroundH information 1. GH EOGRAPHYH ..........................................................................................1.01 MapH s...............................................................................................1.07H 2. EH CONOMYH ..............................................................................................2.01 3. HISTORYH ................................................................................................3.01 TheH Palestine Mandate: 1917 – 1947H ...........................................3.01 Arab/IsraeliH wars and Palestinian refugees: 1948 – 1987H .....3.03 TheH Peace Process: 1991 to presentH...........................................3.10 OsloH Accords – September 1993H ...............................................3.12 CampH David Summit - July 2000H ................................................3.14 Al-AqsaH Intifada (Second Uprising) and Israeli DisengagementH from the Gaza Strip: 2000 to 2005H ...................3.15 PalestinianH National Authority (PNA) – 1996 to 2007H ................3.22 DisintegrationH of the PNA in 2006H ...............................................3.27 IsraeliH SettlementsH
    [Show full text]
  • The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: the Legitimization of Israeli Government Policies Towards Palestinian Resistance Organizations
    The Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the legitimization of Israeli government policies towards Palestinian resistance organizations Map of Israel and Palestinian territories ‘Palestine Map 2007’: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Palestine_Map_2007.gif (09-06-2017). Name: Bas Essink Student number: 369105 Date: 16-06-2017 1 ‘Yitzhak Rabin shakes the hand of Yasser Arafat during the Oslo Accords (September 13, 1993) at the White House as US President Bill Clinton proudly looks on’: http://free.messianicbible.com/feature/yitzhak-rabin- twenty-years-later/ (09-06-2017). Palestinian riots during the Second Intifada, 2000 ‘Palestine: Remembering the Second Intifada (2000)’: https://revolutionaryfrontlines.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/palestine-remembering-the-second-intifada-2000/ (09-06-2017). 2 Table of contents Chapter I: introduction and methodology ............................................................................................. 5 1.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 5 1.2. Research Question and sub questions ........................................................................................ 8 1.3. Theoretical Concepts ................................................................................................................. 10 1.4. Literature report ........................................................................................................................ 14 1.5. Innovative aspects ....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Targeted Killings in the Al-Aqsa Intifada: an Examination of Changes in Hamas’ Operational Capacity
    TARGETED KILLINGS IN THE AL-AQSA INTIFADA: AN EXAMINATION OF CHANGES IN HAMAS’ OPERATIONAL CAPACITY A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Security Studies By Jessica Goldings, B.A. Washington, DC April 14, 2011 Copyright 2011 by Jessica Goldings All Rights Reserved ii TARGETED KILLINGS IN THE AL-AQSA INTIFADA: AN EXAMINATION OF CHANGES IN HAMAS’ OPERATIONAL CAPACITY Jessica Goldings, B.A. Thesis Advisor: Genevieve Lester ABSTRACT Targeted killings have become a key tool of counterterrorism strategy, despite its controversial nature. The debate over targeted killings mainly focuses on four arguments: legality and legitimacy, consequences on innocent civilians, alternative means to fighting terror, and effectiveness in actually reducing terror. In this paper, I argue that an important variable I define as “operational capacity,” or a terrorist group’s ability to carry out attacks, is largely overlooked in the study of targeted killings. Operational capacity is influenced by a host of other variables, including the ease, frequency, sophistication, and success rate of attacks. I come to the conclusion that Israeli targeted killings simultaneously reduced and bolstered Hamas’ operational capacity with the latter impact likely exceeding the former. This is because it was ultimately a diminished operational capacity, along with other socio-political issues like peace talks and land settlements that convinced Hamas to lessen the violence. Even though targeted killings often triggered an increased desire to engage in terrorism, thereby increasing Hamas’ operational capacity, it can be deduced that its capacity to inflict real harm was not overwhelming because Israeli casualties and Palestinian suicide bombings still declined.
    [Show full text]
  • The Shin Bet Gatekeepers the Story That Everyone Who Cares About Peace and Justice Needs to Hear
    Turning the Tide Shifting the Paradigm of Human Culture https://riversong.wordpress.com/the-shin-bet-gatekeepers/ The Shin Bet Gatekeepers The story that everyone who cares about peace and justice needs to hear. The Gatekeepers is a 2012 documentary film by director Dror Moreh that tells the story of the Israeli internal security service, Shin Bet, from the perspective of six of its former directors. SHIN BET: THE GATEKEEPERS (MOVIE) PAGE 1 OF 25 Navy Admiral & Shin Bet Chief Ami Ayalon: The tragedy of Israel’s public security debate is that we don’t realize that we win every battle, but we lose the war. The film combines in-depth interviews, archival footage, and computer animation to recount the role that the group played in Israel’s security from the Six-Day War to the present. The film was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 85th Academy Awards, won the Golden Trailer Award for Best Foreign Documentary Trailer, won Special Mention at the Biarritz International Festival of Audiovisual Programming in 2013, won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association award for Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film, shared the Cinema for Peace Award for Most Valuable Documentary of the Year in 2013, was named one of the year’s top five documentaries by the National Board of Review, won the award for Best Non-Fiction Film from the National Society of Film Critics Awards, won second place in the Best Non-Fiction Film category at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, was nominated for the PGA Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures and for Best Documentary at the Satellite Awards, and was also nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film at the 7th Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
    [Show full text]