Guiding Principles of Terrorism

[Guest guest]

>Moshe Fox

>Shari Dollinger

>Embassy of Israel Briefing, January 21, 2003 >Tue, 21 Jan 2003

16:50:32 -0500 > > > > _____ > > > > >Embassy of Israel • >Current Events •

>Israeli Media • > >Terror Against Israel > > > > > > > > >Embassy of Israel

Briefing >January 21, 2003 > >The phenomenon of the exploitation of children by

Palestinian terrorist >organizations for the purposes of executing terrorist

attacks and suicide >bombings has increased once again, following the capture

of two children >last week in the midst of committing an attack. The children,

age eight and >fourteen, were armed with a knife and were apprehended in the

community of >Netzarim, as they attempted to stab passersby. > >In recent

months, hundreds of Israeli civilians have been killed and many >more wounded,

as a result of Palestinian terrorist attacks. The following is >a review of the

issue of Palestinian terrorist organizations exploiting >children to execute

terrorist attacks. > >Please note that all activities referred to in this

review are prohibited by >international law, they pose a threat to the

well-being and safety of >Palestinian children and they must be severely and

unequivocally condemned. >Pressure must be brought to bear on the Palestinians

to stop this activity >immediately. > >1. Guiding principle: Terrorist

organizations exploit the innocent >appearance of children who do not arouse

suspicion and can easily blend in >among the crowds. Furthermore, the terrorist

organizations view children and >youth as the most convenient recruits for

suicide bombing missions, since >they are easily influenced. Israeli security

forces apprehended a >considerable number of children and youth before they

could carry out >terrorist attacks. > >2. Indoctrination: The terrorist

organizations uproot the children from >their homes and families. Resorting to

brainwashing and religious >indoctrination, they incite the children to carry

out terrorist attacks. The >children are persuaded that if they do so, they

will be granted paradise in >the hereafter. > >Salah Shehadeh, one of the Hamas

leaders in Gaza, who was killed recently, >stated in an interview on the

internet site Islam Online (May 26, 2002), >that children should be trained

properly prior to the execution of terrorist >attacks, and that they should be

enlisted in a special branch of the >military arm of the organization, so that

they are imbued with the values of >the armed Jihad, and are taught to

distinguish between good and evil. >Remarks of this kind are an important

factor in the persuasion of parents to >send their children to carry out

terrorist attacks. > >3. Motivation and scope: On June 27, 2002, the official

Palestinian >Television broadcast a film entitled Child Martyrs and Lovers of

their >Homeland. Dr. Fatal Abu Hin, a lecturer in psychology, was interviewed

>during the film, and spoke about the growing phenomenon of the involvement >of

children in violent incidents. Abu Hin noted that the word Shahada >(martyrdom)

carries a number of meanings for the Palestinian child, >specifically, and for

Islamic society, in general. He maintained that the >Palestinian child

understands that through Shahada, he can win honor and >respect, and that this

phenomenon drives children to take an active part in >violent events. > >Abu

Hin presented a survey carried out by the Islamic University in Gaza, in >April

2001, which focused on a group of one thousand youngsters from Gaza, >in the

9-16 age bracket. The survey findings indicated that of those >questioned, 45%

had taken an active role in the violence. In addition, 73% >of the youngsters

stated that they wanted to become martyrs. These findings >clearly indicate

that children and youth in the West Bank and Gaza have been >radicalized, and

that they are easy prey for the terrorist organizations >that exploit them to

perpetrate terrorist atrocities. > >4. Educating for martyrdom: As well as the

encouragement of children through >the media, the Palestinian educational

institutions and summer camps are >also involved in inciting, brainwashing and

indoctrinating Palestinian >children and youth. Children are indoctrinated with

extreme Islamic ideas, >calling for support and encouragement of the Jihad

against Israel. At the >beginning of July, the Islamic Movement in Gaza

launched its summer camps, >named The Al Aqsa Intifada Martyrs Summer Camp. In

addition, the Hamas >summer camps are popular with children, where they are

given uniforms, shoes >and exercise books. At the camps, the children are

taught about the history >of Islam, and pictures of martyrs are hung in every

place. In this way, the >seeds of hatred towards Israel are planted in the

children. > >5. Official and parental complicity: The Palestinian Authority

Ministry for >Youth and Sport also oversees summer camps that are designed to

recruit >children to carry out attacks against Israel. At the camps, the

children are >subject to incitement, and are trained to use weapons for future

attacks >against Israel. > >In many cases, Palestinian children dress up as a

shaheed (martyr) with >their parents' consent. Indeed, these children are often

encouraged to do so >by their parents. More and more cases are coming to light

of children >participating in processions, wearing replicas of explosive belts

and >inscriptions declaring that they are martyrs. This brings to mind the

>photograph of the baby recently discovered in Hebron. The photograph showed >a

baby wearing a replica explosive belt and a headband declaring that the >baby

was a martyr for "Allah". These children are then easily recruited by

>terrorist organizations for the purpose of carrying out attacks. > >6.

Childhood as terrorist camouflage: It is not only the children who are

>exploited by the terrorists. To disguise their activities, terrorists use

>children’s accessories and toys. In addition, the terrorists try to

>camouflage their activities by operating close to schools and kindergartens. >

>It has emerged that the various terrorist organizations have used children's

>schoolbags and toys to conceal explosives. At first glance, these innocent

>looking items did not appear suspicious, yet they contained explosives, and

>were intended for use against Israeli civilians and other targets. Thus,

>during an IDF operation in the town of Kalkilya on April 26, 2002, three

>explosives laboratories were found. Most notably, a child's schoolbag

>containing explosive charges ready for use was also found. > >7. Hiding behind

children: Senior terrorist operatives revealed that they >tend to locate the

explosives laboratories close to schools and >kindergartens, in order to

conceal their terrorist activity. In this way, >the terrorist organizations

directly endanger the lives of Palestinian >children. By locating the bomb

laboratory close to the school, the pupils >nearby were exposed to many

dangers, including exploding charges during >tests, work accidents in the

course of the production of explosives and >exposure to hazardous materials.

The operatives exploited the innocent >appearance of the pupils arriving at

school, in order to conceal their >activities. > >Sincerely, > >Moshe Fox

>Minister for Public Affairs >Embassy of Israel, Washington DC > > > > >

>Embassy of Israel • >Current Events • >Israeli Media • >Terror Against Israel

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