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Those Not So Magnificent Men and Women Flying Machines

January 18, 2004

Poor Winston Churchill. His famous V-sign once powerfully symbolized victory over the Nazi evil. Years later, Yasser Arafat has adopted it as his trademark, waving it every time Palestinians blow up Israelis. And the exhibitionist Michael Jackson uses it as a stage prop symbolizing “victory” when being arraigned and appearing in court on child molestation charges. A 1965 film “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines” paid tribute - if comically - to men who dared to and were able to fly some of the aircraft that lead the way to modern aviation. Yet sadly, today’s terrorist dream is to have his/her body parts fly in the air while killing as many Jews and Americans as possible in the process. And their societies glorify them as magnificent “god-loving human beings” (note not god-fearing).

The ideology of terror is not limited to Palestinians, Saudis, Syrians or the myriad of terror organizations such as al-Qaeda. It is an overarching theme encompassing the entire Arab and Muslim world (with strong tentacles into Europe, the U.S., Canada and Latin America) that results in horrendous acts of violence. While quick to note that “killings are against the Koran,” terrorists are also quick to either blame their innocent victims for perpetrating the killings, or they justify murder by suggesting it is done against the “infidels” - including Muslims who are “not true to their faith.” Such is the case in Algeria. These terror leaders graphically describe their course of action as unsuccessful unless it is replete with flying body parts (“Interview with Algerian Terror Leader Associated with al-Qaeda: The Islamic State Will Arise Only Through Blood and Body Parts,” MEMRI, Special Dispatch - Jihad & Terrorism Studies Project, 13 January 2004, No. 642).

Earlier in the week a Palestinian mother of two received “permission” from the Hamas terror organization (“Report: Yassin Personally Authorized Woman Bomber,” JPOST.COM Staff, 15 January 2004) to carry out a homicidal mission at a border crossing with Israel (“From Mom to Martyr: For First Time, Palestinian Mother Turns Suicide Bomber for Hamas,” Hilary Brown, ABC News, 14 January 2004). Hamas leaders “promised” more female suicide bombers (“Hamas: Erez Female Bomber is Just the Beginning,” JPOST.COM Staff, 15 January 2004) and will probably be the first to complain about difficulties imposed for security checks.

This particular female, the first such to work for Hamas, was immediately lionized by Arabs as a hero (“Palestinians Hail Female Bomber as Hero,” Ibrahim Barzak, Associated Press, 15 January 2004). As the Algerian ideologue promoted the flying of body parts she carried out her mission the same way a previous Palestinian woman in the West Bank did hers more than a year ago receiving the same horrifying worship from the well-oiled (pun-intended) machines of death (“Palestinians Hail Woman Bomber In Symbolic Funeral," Mohammed Assadi, Rense.com, 1 January 2004).

Given that the terror act was carried out at a border crossing that controls the entry into Israel of thousands of Palestinian workers, it is obvious Hamas holds no concern for its own people who will suffer from the border crossing’s closure and from tougher security measures. Thus they not only kill Israelis but also harm their own population and destroy any chance of an agreement for a diplomatic solution being accepted by the Israeli public (“The Sick, Crying Terrorist,” Editorial, Ha’artez, 16 January 2004). In anticipation of such impact, however, the Israeli authorities intend to reopen the crossing as quickly as possible (“Security Establishment to Open Erez Checkpoint on Sunday,” Amos Harel, Ha’aretz, 15 January 2004).

A woman does not just wake one morning and decide to blow herself up. In this case it is clear she was dispatched by her handlers. Each of these death missions is carried out against a backdrop of hateful indoctrination. This mother stated she wants to see her body parts flying and she wants to “knock on the doors of paradise with the skulls of Jews.” She was not the original author but read the text written for her by Hamas ideologues who have posted this motto on their web site (“Hamas: We will use Jewish skulls to build a bridge to Heaven,” IDF, 16 December 2002).

For all who hope that with Arafat gone the situation will improve (“Is it Too Late for Arafat to Seize the Chance of Peace?” George Kerevan, The Scottsman, 12 January 2004) all they need to do is read comments made by the father of a suicide bomber whose charge went off “prematurely” (namely, before killing many Israelis he - and his handlers - targeted). The father laments the waste of his “talented” son on an unsuccessful mission (“Parents of Dead 17 Year-old Criticize Only the Poor Planning That Led to Son’s Suicide Death,” Itamar Marcus, Palestinian Media Watch Bulletin, January 16, 2004). This provides a sordid illustration as to how much terrorism has been made routine (“The Routinization of Terror,” P. David Hornik, FrontPageMagazine.com, 16 January 2004).

Thus far terrorism has exerted a serious toll in life and property on Israel but has failed to break its resilience. But terrorists have been very successful in intimidating their Arab brethren who are not Muslims. Indeed, Christian Arabs have literally fled the area with only small remnants remaining. Bethlehem is a good example of turning from an 80% Christian majority to an 80% Muslim majority in a period of 50 years (“Mideast: Christian-free Zone?” Joseph Farah, WorldNetDaily.com, 30 December 2003).

But that does not mean past failure is a deterrent to Palestinian efforts to annihilate Israel either by wars waged by Arab countries or by purposeful attacks on Israeli civilians. It is also evident that despite such destructive acts against them, most Israelis continue to seek peace and are willing to make painful compromises to achieve it, as they have proved with Egypt and their generous offer to Syria that was rejected in 2000 (“A Veritable Army of Lies,” Barry Rubin, The Jerusalem Post, 12 January 2004).

The terrorism the world currently experiences is far different than its predecessors - particularly the one typical to the Europeans and Japanese in the 1970s. The Europeans decided to target aggressively the terrorists and successfully arrested most of them and effectively disbanded them. But as a noted criminologist writes in an insightful article (“What Makes a Terrorist?” James Q. Wilson, City Journal, Winter 2004): “Islamic terrorism poses a much more difficult challenge. These terrorists live and work among people sympathetic to their cause. Those arrested will be replaced; those killed will be honored. Opinion polls in many Islamic nations show great support for anti-Israeli and anti-American terrorists. Terrorists live in a hospitable river. We may have to cope with the river.”

Indeed, as Wilson notes, “The relentless vilification of Jews, Israel and Zionism by much of the Muslim press and in many Muslim schools has produced a level of support for terrorism that vastly exceeds the backing American or European terrorists ever enjoyed. Over 75 percent of all Palestinians support the current intifada and endorse the 2003 bombing of Maxim, a restaurant in Haifa. With suicide bombers regarded as martyrs, the number of new recruits has apparently increased. The river of support for anti-Israel terror is much wider and deeper than what the Baader-Meinhof gang received.”

But his most important conclusion combines recognition of this social support system with the fact that terrorists do not act in a vacuum. Hence, attributing to them traits of insanity is not helpful in understanding their motivation: “The central fact about terrorists is not that they are deranged, but that they are not alone. Among Palestinians, [suicide volunteers] are recruited by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, among others. In Singapore, their recruitment begins with attendance at religious schools. If ardent and compliant, they are drawn into Jemaah Islamiyah, where they associate with others like themselves. Being in the group gives each member a sense of special esteem and exclusivity, reinforced by the use of secrecy, code names, and specialized training. Then they are offered the chance to be martyrs if they die in a jihad. Everywhere, leaders strengthen the bombers’ commitment by isolating them in safe houses and by asking them to draft last testaments and make videotapes for their families, in which they say farewell.”

Regrettably, the European Union funds antisemitism with the millions it awards the Palestinian Authority, which then uses the money to incubate its industry of hate in schools, mosques, and media (“The EU Directly Funds Antisemitism,” Kevin Myers, The Daily Telegraph, 1 November 2004).

While the U.S. (and Israel) continue to forward funds to assist the Palestinians (although at reduced levels constantly trying to make certain the funds are not used for terrorism) they are the direct targets of Palestinian terror. U.S. and Israeli generosity is consistently channeled into sophisticated funding campaigns for terror purposes as well as an even more sophisticated campaign to silence the media and true moderate Muslims. They cloak their own terrorist connections and activities under the guise of “mainstream” Islamic groups (Islam in America, Part 3 – “Masquerading as ‘mainstream’: How extremist Muslims intimidate press, true moderates into silence,” Sherrie Gossett, WorldNet Daily, 6 January 2004).

The radicals have taken over moderate Muslim groups, replaced preachers in mosques, and have positioned themselves into ‘representation’ of American Muslims for purposes of shaping public opinion. This has resulted in successfully silencing any voice of authentic moderation and in taking over the Muslim narrative in the U.S. Such tactics are part of an overall campaign against the U.S. while taking advantage of its freedom and values.

Against this backdrop it is encouraging to note an influential African-American entertainer has coauthored an article to denounce antisemitism in the U.S. and Europe. So much so that the Israeli paper reporting it did so even prior to the actual publication of the article (“Hip-hop Star Joins Antisemitism Fight,” Shlomo Shamir, Ha’aretz, 14 January 2004). This may be somewhat helpful in providing security to American Jews particularly given the fact that insufficient proactive security measure were taken up by the community itself (“Communal Security Lax, Terror Experts, Leaders Warn at a N.Y. Meeting: Public Discussion Represents a Marked Shift,” Nathaniel Popper, Forward, 16 January 2004).

Denunciations of antisemitism are very important, but in order to combat the vile antisemitism that is emanating out of Arab and Islamic corners it is important to first expose it for what it is. Marketed mostly for Arab and Muslim audiences, Westerners have little knowledge of the nature, extent and impact of the force of this Arab/Muslim modern version of antisemitism (“Countering Arab Antisemitism,” Menahem Milson, World Jewish Congress, Policy Forum #27).

Combating antisemitism is an uphill battle. Witness the diplomatic ruckus in Sweden when the Israeli Ambassador was invited to an ‘art’ exhibition in Stockholm to find a display glorifying the female suicide bomber who sent her body parts flying, killing scores in the Maxim restaurant in Haifa last October. The diplomat added to the artistic expression by unplugging the lights on it and throwing one of the lights into the pool of red water (“FM Backs Ambassador to Sweden who Wrecked Suicide Bomber Exhibit,” JPOST.COM Staff, 17 January 2004).

Irrespective of one’s opinion about the diplomatic or undiplomatic conduct of the ambassador (an Israeli Arab member of parliament already called to demote the ambassador although he has yet to denounce terrorism), what complicates matters further is that it is not so simple to blame the Swedes. While their government has “organizational responsibility” as the exhibition’s official host, the artist is a pro-Palestinian (yes, you may have guessed it) Israeli. And Israeli art museums have displayed material far more offensive than that.

While this Byzantine fact makes matters more difficult than perhaps warranted, it should not detract attention from the realities and challenges so eloquently enumerated by James Q. Wilson. The Hamas threat of using more female homicidal machines is to be taken seriously, as should the ideology that supports and glorifies this atrocious conduct. Useful idiots (including ‘artists’) should not be allowed to dictate the interpretation of the terror narrative and they should be fought as aggressively as the greenhouses that breed terror.