Take a look at this anonymous submission about the definition of terrorism: On February 25, 1994, Baruch Kopel Goldstein, an American born, Jewish Israeli went with an automatic weapon into a mosque in Hebron and murdered 29 innocent Muslim worshippers. He was praised by many (although definitely not by all) in Israeli society as a hero, a monument to his memory became a site of pilgrimage, songs were written in his praise. Are those asking here to condemn terrorism and all its manifestations, also calling to condemn him, the ideology (right wing and religiously orthodox) that brought him about, as well as the many leaders, some quite prominent rabbis who either spoke in support or at least did not wholeheartedly condemn him? On the 2nd of June, 1980, an organization of 15 Jewish Israeli citizens carried out their first terrorist act, blowing up three cars of Palestinian mayors, two of which were severely wounded and lost their legs; an Israeli Druze soldier lost his eyes in the explosion. On the 26th of July 1983, the same group attacked a Palestinian university with guns and hand grenades, murdering three students. Same questions – are those posting in call to condemn terrorism in all its manifestations, calling to condemn these, the society and the ideological movement (known as Gush Emunim) that sees them till this very day as heroes (one of the 15 terrorist was a top leader in Gush Emunim, and, after serving minimal time in jail, became a top official in the current Israeli government). My point: Terrorism, whatever that is, appears on both sides (think Ireland or the founding fathers of this nation). Instead of the (understandable) shouts to condemn it, which, in my view, leads nowhere other than minimal propaganda effect, the more interesting question is: HOW DO WE DEFINE TERRORISM? What is the social and cultural phenomena associated with it? For example the late Israeli prime minister, Menachem Begin, was in his early days a leader of a (terrorist?) group that murdered British soldiers and innocent civilians, Jews included (on the 22 of July 1946 his group under his orders blew up the King David hotel in Jerusalem, killing 91, Brits, Arabs as well as 17 of which were Jews) – was he a terrorist? What do the members of this group think?
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 19:38:45 +0000
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