Posted on 11-9-2003

Melting Down The Terror Tool
by Alan Marston

Axiom: Fear is the currency of selfish political/economic power.

Definition: Terror is a word for extreme fear.

Thesis: Terror is a highly effective tool for social control, few people
with ambition, no matter what political/ethnic/ethical persuasion, can
resist using the tool of terror.

Supporting observations: The political-economic test-tube that is Palestine
and Israel.

It has been almost three weeks since Israeli helicopter gun-ships
assassinated Hamas leader, Ismail Abu Shanab and that was in reality an act
of terrorism by Israeli politicians which signaled the ending of the
ceasefire which was the backbone of the US-backed peace plan. The fact that
the ceasefire was littered with Israeli politically inspired acts of
terror, including 16 killings of innocent Palestinians barely made the
news, but is nevertheless a fact. The fact that some Palestinian
politicians exploit terrorism via their organisation and promotion of
suicide bombing is also a fact, a well publicised fact, but no more factual
just because it is made obvious.

The fact that Israel has continued its siege and military closure of the
West Bank and Gaza, maintained its policies of assassinations, home
demolitions, military checkpoints, the building of illegal settlements, the
uprooting of trees, the seizure of land and the horrific construction of an
Apartheid wall, actions that completely violate the Road Map and must be
equally labelled as an ongoing campaign of terror against Palestinian,
though largely ignored by the mass-media is a factual observation. The fact
that there has been 17 Palestinian deaths in the last three weeks through
extra-judicial assassinations, along with those of a further six
Palestinians randomly targeted by trigger happy Israeli soldiers, including
3 children, though hardly little covered by the world’s press and difficult
to observe is a factual observation nonetheless.

Mathematics: All the above factual observations support the assumption that
terror is non-directional, usable by anyone for any ambition in any amount.
The Palestinian suicide bombing are obvious acts of terror and it goes
without saying that some Palestinians exploit terror. Not so obvious is the
use of terror by Israeli politicians, because the evidence above indicates
the terror they exploit is ALSO the suicide bombing of Palestinians.
Therefore ALL the people who have ambitions for one side or another in the
Middle East and that includes anyone anywhere in the world, are exploiting
the Palestinian suicide bombings.

But why would Israelis want suicide bombings of Israelis? Because those who
want the bombings want to exploit the terror they generate for
political-economic gain, and, those same people insulate themselves against
the bombers. Again, fear does not take sides, it is usable by anyone for
any ambition.

Even if it is accepted some Israeli politicians want to cause suicide
bombing, how could they do it? Its not difficult to see that the above acts
of terror by the Israeli army would generate extreme fear/anger in
Palestinians, especially the young, who, not having military hardware to
react in a formal military way rapidly become desperate enough to burn the
fuel of hatred of the Israeli occupier in a busy street café or crowded
bus... and blow themselves up. This simple equation of fear/hatred is also
exploited by some Palestinians in a way predicted by Israeli politicans
(politicians of any ilk know the rules). Hamas have vowed revenge for every
Palestinian being assassinated.

Conclusion: Thesis proved.

Practical Recommendations for better political-economic technology:
Politicians have to be strong enough to resist playing the power-fear game,
which is surely what the Christian ethic of `turn the other cheek' means.

Signs of hope in Middle East: None... yet.

Israel continues to defend it’s violations of the Road Map by highlighting
the Palestinian Authority’s inability to reign in resistance groups, and
now day after day the Palestinian Cabinet are meeting with Hamas trying to
maintain a case for holding off any attacks while Israel goes further and
further to provoke them and yesterday were further signs of terror breading
terror, more suicide bombings bringing once again to the world’s television
screens, horrific pictures of innocent Israeli children inside Jerusalem
that reap unaccountable pity and support of Israel’s attempts to erase
Palestine and its people all together. Are Palestinian children not
innocent victims too? Why was the killing of eight year old Aya Fayad ­
shot dead whilst riding her bicycle ­ not so widely reported in the world’s
news?

As long as this devastating conflict between Palestinians and Israelis
continues then the international community's continued willingness to
exploit terror and control of the world’s press and its biased reporting
must remain as much to blame as the two opponents. As a recent statement
from the Palestine National Initiative so clearly expressed, a true,
lasting peace can only be contracted between democracies which can
negotiate with full representative support and negation of any exploitation
of fear. The US backed systematic destruction of a peaceful political
climate for all sides and the constant Israeli prevention of democratic
elections, has fatally undermined the Middle East's ability to build up its
structures and move towards the creation of democratic institutions. For
this to now happen there must be an international presence made up of
un-ambitious politicians who can resist the terror tool. There has to be a
21st Century Ghandi.