Are we becoming “acclimated” to terror?

The recent suicide bombing at the Netanya mall claimed "only" five Jewish lives. Drive by shootings occur "routinely". Potentially lethal Kassam rockets directed against Israeli civilians are a daily event. In most instances, initial responses are momentary anger followed by relief "because it could have been much worse" - a shocking reflection of how we are "acclimatizing" ourselves to such horror.

In what has become the standard ritual following attacks, the Prime Minister condemns the terrorists, receives global messages of condolence and makes threats. Empty fields and buildings in Gaza are bombed and targeted assassinations renewed. Checkpoints are "apologetically" reinstated. And innocent Israelis are buried and scores of wounded remain in hospitals.

Although terror has prevailed since the birth of Israel, it was only in the wake of the Oslo "peace process" that the attacks escalated by quantum leaps. A year ago, then Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon demonstrated that tough military action, especially systematic targeted assassinations, could dramatically reduce terror attacks. The killers were in disarray and some Palestinians even began to publicly suggest that violence was only intensifying their misery.

That was short lived, because after Prime Minister Sharon announced unilateral withdrawals, the terrorists proclaimed victory, insisting that the policy of killing Jews had been vindicated.

Although Sharon did not promise that disengagement would bring about peace, he did insist that the withdrawals would make Israel more secure. Yet despite the restraint we displayed to encourage Mahmoud Abbas to curtail terrorism, even now when the Palestinians have a vested interest to temporarily suspend violence, Kassam rocket attacks and suicide bombings continue

For Abbas, terrorism is a PR problem. After the Netanya attack he again criticized terrorists who "harm Palestinian interests", avoiding casting aspersions on terrorism per se. He announced arrests which at best amounted to an overnight detention and a revolving door. He also said he would absorb terrorists into his "united" Palestinian security force, which to our chagrin is being funded and trained primarily by Americans.

The reality is that since the death of Arafat, beyond Abbas being a more photogenic vehicle for obfuscating the terror and apparently winning the affection of President Bush, very little has changed.

But the central problem is not the refusal of Mahmoud Abbas to dismantle the terror infrastructure - which itself would represent a causus belli for any civilized nation. The root source of the violence is that the central pillars of Palestinian society, - culture, religion and education - continue to be driven towards the sanctification of the murder of Jews and worship of death.

On the very day of the most recent Netanya carnage, Abbas approved a monthly stipend of $250 per "martyred" family, which combined with other Shaheed family subsidies would amount to about $100 million out of the annual billion dollar PA budget- the bulk of which originates from international aid packages. Families of "martyrs" also receive additional funds from "charities" in Saudi Arabia, Iran and Persian Gulf states.

But this is merely the tip of the iceberg. Recent "Palestine Media Watch", "MEMRI", and other reports provide evidence of an obscenely sick society.

• In August this year the PA Ministry of Culture′s "official book of the month" comprised of poems honoring Hanadi Jaradat, the suicide bomber who blew up 21 people at the Haifa restaurant in October 2003.
• In July this year a PA sponsored women′s seminar was named in honor of Wafa Idris, the first woman suicide bomber, who is constantly promoted as a role model for Palestinian feminism.
• The recently opened PA Rafa Crossing between Gaza and Egypt was named after the terrorist who killed 5 Israelis at that location in December 2004.
• A soccer tournament was named by the PA Minister of Education to honor the ghoul responsible for the murder of 29 Israelis on Passover eve in Netanya.

Then there are the mothers of shaheeds who regularly appear on PA TV exulting over the martyrdom of their sons and expressing the hope that their surviving children would follow the same course; PA TV broadcasts covering sermons in mosques calling on congregants to kill Jews; PA sponsored TV programmes urging children to regard Shaheeds as their role models; Schools, kindergartens and summer camps convey the same message; And of course the obscene and shameless street celebrations which spontaneously erupt following every successful terrorist attack.

It may not be politically correct to say so, but the reality is that after years of brainwashing, from kindergartens onwards, a large element of the Palestinian population have been transformed into a truly evil society. They have in fact undergone a process not dissimilar to the draconian transformation of the Germans under the Nazis. And regrettably, in the current environment of intensified incitement, the next generation of Palestinians promises to be even more barbaric. Thus even if Hamas assumed control the difference would be marginal. The existing PA Fatah subsidiary would continue its efforts to kill Israelis and incitement in the schools, mosques and media would remain unchanged.

Yet many of our friends continue urging us to be patient and show restraint because Abbas "is trying his best". To many "progressives", including Jews and even some Israelis, the conflict is still perceived as a mindless cycle of violence or a struggle between two people over land. That apparently, is the misleading message of Spielberg′s film on the Munich Olympics which allegedly presents a moral equivalency between Israelis and Palestinian murderers.

Our government must realize that that if we do not take the initiative in explaining the vile aspects of Palestinian society, the world will never be able to appreciate our position. The Foreign Ministry and Diaspora Jewish communities must invest major resources and launch a massive campaign the true nature of the conflict.

Needless to say we should reiterate our willingness to negotiate a settlement. But if the PA will not or cannot restrain ghouls seeking an early entry to Paradise by blowing themselves up in order to kill us, we must adopt measures to protect our citizens as would any other civilized country facing such threats.

And without denying the importance of diplomacy, we should tell James Wolfenson, Condoleezza Rice and yes, even President Bush that our first priority must be to defend our citizens even if this creates unpleasantness or affects the welfare of Palestinians. If saving lives of innocent Israelis requires us to sever all relationships with Palestinians, seal off roads, and cease all commercial activity with them, we should do so. . That will possibly also require abrogating the deal brutally imposed on Israel by Condoleezza Rice to provide free passage daily for 1800 Palestinians between Gaza and the West Bank whilst suicide bombers and Kassam rockets continue being targeted against us.

We should respond to acts of terror with intensified vigor. Instead of empty threats, after alerting the inhabitants exploited by the terrorists as shields, we should level the specific locations from which lethal rockets are launched against our civilian population. No other nation including the United States would do less.

If we succeed in creating an awareness of the dark hatred which consumes our neighbors, most decent people would understand our need to defend ourselves and would not be influenced by those who try to depict the conflict as cycles of violence between morally equivalent disputants. Public opinion would hopefully lead to more intensive pressure being exerted on the PA to halt the incitement. More importantly it should result in Israelis attending fewer funerals.