Maof

By Ariel Natan Pasko

Who hasn't seen them on CNN or Israeli TV; machinegun toting mobs, chanting slogans of death and destruction, waving the green flag of Islam, with black hoods hiding their faces? These brutal thugs and the thousands of accomplices that participate at every political event, i.e. funeral of another 'Shaheed' - unholy martyr - shoot in the air and promise more vengeance and murder. After every suicide bombing, to honor their murderer, his last remains are brought for burial, in what can only be called a frenzy of 'Blood Lust'. After every time that Israel executes another terrorist leader with blood on his hands - known in Israel as a 'targeted killing' - the political circus of Hamas, or Islamic Jihad, or who knows what, organizes another demonstrative burial to show support for their murderous 'Hero'. Their leaders call for more sacrifice, more blood, more murder of Jews, Israelis, and whoever gets in their way toward a Palestinian state and the destruction of Israel, Islamic revival, and WORLD DOMINATION!

Similar scenes across the Arab and Islamic world were seen after September 11th. The joy of unbridled 'Blood Lust' let out onto an unsuspecting world. You know what I'm talking about! We all know now!

"Terrorists and those who support them..." as President Bush said. Need I say more? Did the United States do survey research to check if every Taliban soldier in Afghanistan supported al-Qaida's attacks in New York and Washington? Could there have been innocent Muslim fundamentalists killed in the US air raids? Are there innocent participants at these funerals of suicide bombers and terrorist masterminds? If you're not sure of the answer, you've already lost the war!

When thousands gather to bury a dead 'Hero', praise his life's work - killing innocent Israelis - and vow further blood shed, decent people have to say, ENOUGH! And governments, whether it's India fighting Kashmiri terror, Russia fighting the Chechens, the Philippines fighting Abu Sayyaf - Bearer of the Sword - in Mindanao, or Israel on the front lines of the war, have the responsibility to PUT DOWN this behavior. It should be done by legitimate judicial means whenever possible. Terrorists should be treated as common criminals, as the serial murderers that they are, captured and prosecuted. But when not possible, they should be pursued by all means.

The Rabbis of the Talmud taught over 1,600 years ago, "Those who are merciful to the cruel, will end up being cruel to the kind." The world desperately needs to learn this most practical of moral lessons. Turning the other cheek wouldn't have helped stop Hitler, and it won't work this time either against Islamic Fascism. Mercy and forgiveness - ethics on the personal level between individuals - works up to a point, but not against organized hordes with murderous intent, fed by an ideology of death, their own and others. Between groups in conflict, SAFETY & JUSTICE become the operative values. It's the responsibility of us all - to ourselves and society at large - to understand this, and demand that our governments pursue policies to attain SAFETY & JUSTICE!

"Terrorists and those who support them..." That's why I'm advocating a policy of ZERO TOLERANCE, zero tolerance for terrorists, zero tolerance for those who support them, zero tolerance for public acts of support, zero tolerance for calls of revenge and more terror by these Muslim fanatics and their fellow travelers.

The Israeli government should call on Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to immediately implement already signed agreements, outlawing violence against Israelis, and calls for that violence. After a given period - say a week or two - if the Palestinian Authority hasn't yet banned 'political' funerals, hasn't stopped public expressions of support for suicide bombings, machinegun attacks and the like, Israel will begin the 'self-enforcement' concept implicit in any international treaty, or agreement.

Imagine for a moment, thousands chanting "Death to the Jews", many shooting machineguns (unregistered and illegal?), in the air - dozens of Palestinians have been killed or injured this way, I might add - listening to speeches calling for revenge, murder, and more atrocities.

The crowd, not just the leaders, is guilty. "Terrorists and those who support them..."

As the frenzy of human sacrifice and blood lust reaches a peak, Israeli helicopter gunships swoop down from the skies. The call of the Israeli Apache has begun!

When a crowd of several thousand people 'celebrates' the death of a 'Hero', whose life has been dedicated to murder and mayhem, there are no innocents. They are giving support to the next suicide bomber. Israeli Apaches strafe the crowd with machinegun fire, and shoot several rockets into the center of the crowd. The stated goal is to disburse the crowd. The intension is to put real fear into terrorists and their supporters. Now, rather than turning every funeral into a political rally and support for more bloodshed, funerals will be what they're meant to be, SAD OCCASIONS!

The purpose of this Israeli policy is to self-enforce already signed agreements, with the PA to stop terrorism and ban political activity in support of it. The goal is to drive the Islamic Fascists underground. The objective is to return funerals to their original purpose, burying the dead, and no more. With consistent enforcement of this new policy by Israel - strafing and bombing political rally-funerals by terrorist groups - the result will be secret, hidden, quiet, late night or early morning funerals for the family and friends alone, far from the eyes of the public and media. No more celebrations in broad daylight of suicide, murder, and other barbarities that boggle the civilized mind. No more public displays of blood lust. No more public support for terrorists and terrorism!

Either the Palestinian Authority does the job or Israel does it. Let THE CALL OF THE ISRAELI APACHE begin!

Ariel Natan Pasko is an independent analyst & consultant. He has a Master's Degree in International Relations & Policy Analysis. His articles appear regularly on numerous news/views and think-tank websites, in newspapers, and can be read at:
http://www.geocities.com/ariel_natan_pasko

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