JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY – There are times when terrorists have affinities that are really hard to fathom.
When it comes to terrorist groups there are those who believe in the old adage ‘truth in advertising’. Take the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). During its three decade-long reign of violence in Sri Lanka it was not hard to fathom what it stood for. They wanted to ‘liberate‘ that part of the country where the Tamil minority dominated, in effect create an independent state. That they failed does not mean we did not know what they were up to and what their ultimate goals were.
Or perhaps Islamic State (ISIS). They sought to create a new polity, a ‘Caliphate‘, where their questionable interpretations of history and faith morphed into a nightmarish land where all kinds of crimes against humanity were perpetrated. They too failed, thank God!
In other circumstances it is less obvious just what violent extremists represent. Take the ‘Black Hebrew Israelite‘ movement. This American-based bunch, dating back to the 19th century, believes they are the true descendants of biblical Jews. And at times they are behind acts of violence.
On this day in 2019
Three civilians were killed and another one wounded, in addition to two police officers, in a kosher grocery store in Jersey City by two Black Hebrew Israelites imbued with anti-Semitic and ‘anti-authority’ motives. A third police officer had been killed by the pair at a nearby cemetery.
Based on [evidence] we have collected so far…including recent witness interviews, we believe that the suspects held views that reflected hatred of the Jewish people, as well as a hatred of law enforcement.
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir GrewalÂ
Law enforcement killed the two and found an arms cache and pipe bomb in their rented vehicle. Still, is it not odd that a group which sees itself as the ‘true descendants of biblical Jews is also anti-Semitic? Or am I missing something here?
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