Jonathan R. White
www.cengage.com/cj/white
Chapter 10:
Terrorism in Israel and Palestine
Rosemary Arway
Hodges University
Palestine Liberation Organization
 PLO – Palestinian Liberation Organization:
o Secular organization
o Yasser Arafet – its leader and founder (1964)
o Attempted to establish a government for
displaced Palestinians
o Purpose was to create a political organization to
help form a multinational alliance against Israel
o Looked to Arab governments to jointly launch a
war against Israel
Palestine Liberation Organization
 FATAH:
o Yasser Arafat formed Fatah in 1959
o Purpose was to create a guerrilla organization
o Advocated use of small unit tactics and
terrorist actions
o Proposed terrorizing unfortified Israeli civilian
targets after Six Day War defeat
 Merged Fatah into PLO in 1964
 Media coverage of Fatah attacks raised
PLO status throughout the Arab world
Palestine Liberation Organization
 Fatah after Karamah:
o After Fatah’s attack on Israel, Israel
respond with force.
o In 1968 Israeli Defense Force (IDF) tanks,
infantry, helicopters and artillery raided the
Palestinians in the village of Karamah
(refuge center housing Fatah members fadayeen).
o Fadayyen fought back and Israeli army had
to retreat.
Palestine Liberation Organization
 PLO Expelled:
o As it grew, the PLO identified more closely
with militant Arab states and organized its
base in Jordan.
o Concerned about the growing influence of
foreign nationals, Jordanian King Hussein
ordered PLO to stop attacking Israel.
o Arafat defied Hussein’s order.
 In 1970 Hussain ordered Marital Law.
 Arafat and Hussain signed a ceasefire.
Arafat and the PLO fled to southern
Lebanon.
Palestine Liberation Organization
 Black September and Munich:
o Black September was a splinter group of the PLO
o Formed after King Hussein’s September attack
 Black September began planning a strike
against Israel
o With the help of German terrorists, Black September
attacked Olympic Village in September 1972.
o Took most of the Israeli Olympic team hostage
o Killed those who attempted escape
o Botched rescue attempt by Germans ended when
terrorists machine-gunned down their hostages
o In October, Arab terrorists hijacked a Lufthansa jet
and demanded release of the Munich terrorist –
Germans capitulated.
Palestine Liberation Organization
 1982 Invasion of Lebanon:
o PLO becoming potent force in southern Lebanon
o Iran joined fighting after Islamic revolution of 1979
o Established new terrorist organization called Islamic
Jihad
o Endemic civil war raged in Lebanon
 Operation Peace for Galilee
o IDF forces invaded Lebanon
o PLO retreat from Lebanon
o Fighting in Lebanon continued with a new group:
Hezbollah – an umbrella-style organization
o Israel's fight with PLO shifted from Lebanon to
Palestinians areas in Israel
Factionalism in Palestinian Terrorism
 Yom Kippur/ Ramadan War caused shift
in Middle East terrorism
 1967 – 1973 PLO characterized by
internal splintering
 Several groups split from Arafat
o Democratic Front for Liberation of Palestine
o Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
o Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine, General Command
o Sabri al Banna - Abu Nidal Organization
Abu Nidal Organization
 Abu Nidal:
o Created rebel organization called Black June
o Jointed Fatah for the purpose of regaining a
Palestinian homeland
o Became disillusioned with Fatah and Arafat
o With Iraqi assistance built an infrastructure to
support his terrorist organization
o Moved his operations to Damascus in 1983
o In 1987 Moumar Gadhafi brought Abu Nidal
to Libya
▪
From there Abu Nidal organization operated as private
contractor
Abu Nidal
 Abu Nidal:
o Operated on the international level
▪ Particularly ruthless – terrorists became noted for
the brutality of their attacks
o Changed the face of Middle Eastern
terrorism
▪
▪
▪
▪
Increased activities in Europe
Created a large terrorist group
Immersed himself in the Lebanese Civil War
Terrorism become the meaning for existence
o Began working as a mercenary for foreign
governments
Palestinian Islamic Jihad
 Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)
o
o
o
o
Secular group arising after Yom Kippur War
Small group that emerged in Egypt
Influenced by militant Salafism
Disillusioned with the Muslim Brotherhood
 PIJ founders:
o Fathi Shekaki
o Abdul Aziz
o Bashir Musa
Palestinian Islamic Jihad
 Fathi Shekaki
o Longed to take direct – military – action against
infidels
o Supported Iranian revolution
o Left Egypt in 1981 with Aziz and Musa to settle in
the Gaza Strip
o Advocate of umbrella-style organization and the
suicide bomber (Hezbollah innovations)
o Discovered that small groups are virtually invisible
for enemies, and for that reason let his group split.
▪
The U.S.A. Department of State sees the structure of PIJ
as a pillar of strength.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad
 PIJ terrorists gained power through group’s
hidden structure
o No infrastructure or visible means of support
▪ Invisibility partially due to growing number of groups
claiming the name Islamic Jihad
o Impossible to fight a non-organization
o Not concerned with claiming credit for operations
▪ 1987 First Intifada – PIJ joining street fights
▪ 1993 Oslo Accord promises peace in Middle
East - Fathi Shekaki joins a new Rejectionist
Front
Palestinian Islamic Jihad
 Shekaki was assassinated in Malta in 1995.
 Shekaki’s succesor, Ramadan Abdullah Sallah,
maintained Shekaki philosophy.
 In 2001 PIJ launched a suicide bombing
campaign:
o Sought deeper ties to Hezbollah and Hamas
 Department of Justice (DOJ) believes PIJ has an
organized network of financial supporters
including some within the U.S.
o U.S. government claims to have uncovered a PIJ
financial and administrative network at a Florida
University.
Hamas and the Rise
of Religious Organizations
 Palestinian Muslim Brothers would become the
nucleus of Hamas
o Hamas formed in 1987
o Tied to Sheik Ahmed Yassin
o Wanted to steer the resistance movement along a
religious course
o Hamas Charter published in 1988 – declares
Palestine as a God-given land from the Jordan river
to Mediterranean Sea
o Hamas reflects non-violence ideas against fellow
Palestinians
o Hamas opposes PLO
o Hamas maintains political wing to oversee internal
and foreign affairs
Hamas and the Rise
of Religious Organizations
 Struggles for Leadership:
o Yassin was jailed from 1989 to 1997
o Musa Abu Marzuq took over Hamas
▪ Strategy more violent than Yassin’s
▪ Launched savage suicide bombings in Israel
▪ Created ‘outside’ leadership basing Hamas
outside of Palestine territory
o In 1997 Yassin was released from prison
and while under house arrest he gradually
reasserted control over Hamas.
Hamas and the Rise
of Religious Organizations
 In 2003 Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmud
Abbas brokered a limited ceasefire, asking
Hamas, the PIJ and related groups to end their
campaigns.
 Arafat and PIJ dominate Palestinian politics
 In 2006 Fatah lost its position and Hamas won
the election.
o The U.S.A and UE did not recognize Hamas’s
victory.
o 2007 - Hamas had driven Fatah from Gaza and
Abbas dissolved the government and formed a new
one without Hamas.
o 2008 - Operation Cast Lead: Israel assaults Gaza.
The Future
 In March 2004 Israeli helicopters fired three
missiles at Yassin.
o Hamas announced his replacement with Abdel
Aziz Rantisi.
▪
Israeli assassinated Rantsi in the same manner as
Yassin.
 A new leader was appointed but his identity is
kept in secret.
o There is a suspicion the new leader (Khalid
Mashal) acts outside of Palestine from
Damascus.
o It is suspected that he may develop an
international orientation and present a threat to
the U.S.
The Future
Reuvan Paz
Matthew Levitt
Hamas is:
Hamas is:
 Shifting targets and focus
 Engaged in anti-America
rhetoric
 Refused to join al-Qaeda and
the international Jihad
because its focus is on Israel
 International
 Disincentives for attacking
the West
 Militant theology behind
Hamas may encourage
individual terrorists to take
action against the West
 Strong Sunni organization
 Palestinian extension of the
Muslim Brotherhood
 Influenced by militant Salafi
Puritanism
 Supported by Saudi
sympathizers
 Closer to the revolutionary
Shi’ites in general
 Falling into Hezbollah orbit
al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
 Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (Brigades) formed to
put Fatah at the center of the new Intifada.
o Began as secular group
o Increasing use of Jihadist rhetoric
o First secular Palestinian group to use suicide tactics
▪
Suicide bombing became the most important tactic of all the
Palestinian terrorist groups
 Brigades recognize Israel’s right to exist.
o Intend to stop Israeli incursions and attacks in
Palestinian areas
o Punish Israel for each attack
al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
 al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades’ effective tactics:
o
o
o
o
o
Drive-by shootings
Snipers
Ambushes
Kidnap-murders
suicide bombings
 Brigade suicide bombers were frightening for
two reasons:
o They were secular
o Sought out crowded civilian targets
 Purpose is to kill and maim as many victims as possible in
the most public way possible
al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
 Leadership in the Martyrs Brigades
o Al Aqsa has little centralized structure
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
Its strength comes from the fact that small cells are able to
operate without a strong leader
Administration is pushed to the lowest operational level
Cells function almost autonomously
Effective because they operate in a network
Effective without centralized leadership
o Al Aqsa is suspected of being associated with Fatah
o Marwan Barghouti is the commander
o Arafat pays the expenses and set the agenda (Israelis
report)
▪
There is no evidence that he has control over the organization
Violent Jewish Fundamentalism
 Jewish Fundamentalism:
o Involved in terrorist violence
o Militant Judaism is based on the biblical
notion that God has promised to restore the
state the Israel
 Rabbi Meir Kahane
o In 1968 created the Jewish Defense
League
o Involved in several terrorist incidents in the
U.S.
o Formed the militant group – Kach
o Assassinated in 1990 in the United States
Violent Jewish Fundamentalism
 Kahane Chai:
o
o
o
o
Combined politics and biblical literalism to demand all
Arabs be expelled from Israel’ occupied territories
Involved in threatening Palestinians
Threatened to attack Arabs and Israeli officials seeking
peace
Committed to stop any peace proposal recognizing
territorial rights of Palestinians
 Gush Emunim
o
o
o
fundamentalist Israeli settlement in Palestinian territory,
gets political support from Israel
Same set of beliefs as violent fundamentalists
Rhetoric appears normative compared with violent
rhetoric of other groups
Violent Jewish Fundamentalism
 Problems with Jewish militant extremism:
Hanauer:
o Extremists claim the exclusive right to determine
the truth.
o They advocate an ideal order
▪
Gush Emunim and Kach claim the Messiah can
come only when the existing order is purified.
o National identify of Israel and its political legitimacy
can only be determined through religion.
o All current events are defined within a narrow set of
beliefs that define a limited worldview and identify
only a few people as being chosen by God.
Controversial Counterterrorist Policies
 Many Israeli police and military units
have established excellent reputations in
counterterrorist operations.
 Tactical operations are second to none.
o Mossad – Israeli intelligence service
o Shin Beth – Domestic Israeli security
service
o IDF – Israeli Defense Force
o Israeli police – able to handle bombs,
kidnappings, snipers
Controversial Counterterrorist Policies
 International controversy
o Bulldozing
▪ Purpose is to destroy the family homes of suicide
bombers
▪ Suspected leaders in militant groups and others
were targeted
▪ Farms and other areas were bulldozed
o The Wall
▪ Condemned by the international community, a
concrete and barbed-wire barrier cut through
Palestinian areas.
▪ Construction reduced suicide attacks
▪ Construction separated Palestinians from their
jobs, families and services
Controversial Counterterrorist Policies
o Invading Lebanon
▪ First invasion, 1982, to rid south of the PLO, ended
with 18 year occupation and the creation of
Hezbollah.
▪ 1993 offensive in Lebanon to disrupt Hezbollah
operations
▪ Operation Grapes of Wrath: destruction of bridges,
power plants, and other infrastructure
▪ Attempt to create a wedge between Lebanon and
Hezbollah
▪ July 2006 another invasion
▪ Israeli Air Naval and IDF attacked Lebanon with an
attempt to destroy Hezbollah; they defended its
action saying the Lebanon government was unable
to disarm and confront Hezbollah on its own.
Controversial Counterterrorist Policies
 Selective Assassination
o Paz
▪ might internationalize the conflict
o Bayman
▪ is publicly transparent
o Krauthammer
▪ Israelis feel that harsh policies must be
implemented to deter terrorism.
▪ U.S. repeatedly has taken the stance that Israel
cannot be condemned for harsh measures until
the international community also condemns
Palestinian terrorism.