Thought of the week – How bad is Jewish terrorism?
When we talk about terrorism, or at least the religious variety, we normally these days talk about Islamist terrorism (Al Qaeda (AQ), Islamic State (ISIS), Al Shabaab (AS), etc.). And there is absolutely no question, as reflected in these weekly terrorism summaries, that jihadis do indeed dominate the terrorism landscape around the world. It is also true that this form of terrorism is significantly religious in nature (although not solely so), even if the version of Islam used to call for killing is neither normative, nor moderate, nor mainstream.
But jihadis are not the only ones using faith to justify violence (NB this topic is discussed at great length in my 2019 book When Religions Kill). There are also those who are associated with Judaism, largely in Israel, who carry out acts of violence. But are these acts religious or nationalist in nature? Or both? Or neither.
Whether we are talking about Israeli-American doctor Baruch Goldstein who opened fire in the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, killing 29 Muslim worshippers in 1994, or Yigal Amir who assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in November 1995, or the yahoo settlers who attack Palestinians in the West Bank, we have a problem Houston (or should that be Tel Aviv)?
The problem is that Israeli military and security forces are already going flat out monitoring and interdicting jihadis, either the ‘homegrown’ Palestinian ones or those from abroad (often sponsored by Iran). Are there enough resources to do it all? Great question!
The bottom line is that religious terrorism is religious terrorism and must be treated as such. Yes, the jihadis carry out 99+% of all attacks worldwide and have for the past two decades (at least) but they do not have a monopoly on “God (Jehovah, Allah…) made me do it!”
Where is Flip Wilson when you need him (“The Devil made me do it!”)?
PS Stay tuned for my upcoming podcast with Eugene Gerstein on this topic.
This week by the numbers
Countries suffering at least one attack (or foiled attack): 17 (Afghanistan, Belgium, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Mali, Mozambique, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Thailand, Yemen)
Casualties (dead/wounded): 150/103
Terrorists arrested/killed: 161/197
Ideology of terrorists: Predominantly jihadi (Islamist extremists); also Jewish extremists, left wing extremists and nationalists (Myanmar)
Right-wing attacks: 0 (zero)
Afghanistan
- A roadside bomb in Kabul on October 19 injured one person.
- Afghan forces killed four Islamic State (ISIS) in Khorasan (ISK) terrorists in Kunduz on October 18.
- Taliban security forces arrested two Islamic State-Khorasan members in Nangarhar province on October 20.
- Taliban security forces killed six ISIS militants in an overnight operation in Kabul on October 21-22: those killed were involved in two major attacks in recent weeks, one on a city mosque and the other on a tutoring institute.
- Following an explosion in Taleqan city, the provincial capital of Takhar province in northeastern Afghanistan, two Taliban military personnel were killed and three others were wounded on October 23.
- Taliban officials in the northeastern Afghan province of Badakhshan claimed to have killed 38 members of the opposition, National Resistance Front (NRF), and arrested 78 others.
Belarus
- Belarusian security forces reportedly arrested several people on October 17 who were allegedly preparing acts of terrorism and sabotage on instruction from opposition groups in exile.
Belgium
- Far-right Belgian MP Filip Dewinter from Vlaams Belang was assaulted by left-wing activist in Leuven on October 21. Dewinter was about to give a lecture a book he has written about “The Great Replacement”, a “theory” that the “replacist elite” is working to replace the white European population both demographically and culturally by members of other racial, cultural, and religious groups.
Cameroon
- Cameroon’s army killed a dozen separatists during an operation in one of the country’s troubled English-speaking regions on October 8 (recent information).
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
- Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) terrorists attacked two health centres in the DRC’s North Kivu province, killing seven and abducting a nurse. One of the health centers was set on fire during the attacks.
Germany
- German police arrested four suspected Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists in Saarbrucken on October 18.
India
- Police in Assam State arrested four terrorists with links to the Ansar Ullah Bangla Team and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent on October 17.
- Two Indian laborers in Kashmir were killed in a grenade attack on October 17 which police blamed on Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is fighting Indian rule.
- India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested an ISIS operative in Varanasi on October 21. The individual was working for the terror group and was actively involved in the radicalization and recruitment of youth from India for ISIS. He also was attempting to fabricate an explosive black powder and gaining knowledge on the use of other lethal chemical substances to be used for the fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
- Indian police arrested a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist in Bandipora on October 21. Two hand grenades were recovered from the individual during his arrest. The individual was reportedly tasked with targeting police and security forces in the city.
Iraq
- A member of ISIS stabbed a mosque imam in Al-Raqqah at dawn prayers on October 17, all while yelling “still exists and expands,” a reference to the continuing existence of the terrorist group. The Imam was injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.
- Iraqi forces arrested two ISIS terrorists during an operation in the Bu met’eb area of northern Baghdad on October 17.
- An explosive vehicle targeted a local security force in Shingal, affiliated to the PKK, late on October 18, injuring four people.
- An IED explosion killed one Peshmerga officer and wounded seven others during anti-ISIS operation on October 19.
- An Iraqi soldier was killed, and two others were wounded during a clash with ISIS terrorists in the al-Tarmiyah sub-district of Baghdad on October 20.
- The PKK claimed on October 21 that Turkish forces have conducted chemical attacks against its fighters in the Kurdistan Region’s mountainous areas since April. Turkish authorities denied this, saying their army follows international laws.
Israel/Palestine
- Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian olive growers on October 19: Palestinian news reported that settlers stabbed a foreign volunteer, breaking her leg, and spread chemical pesticide on olive trees.
- A member of the Lions’ Den terrorist group, which has been behind a series of shooting attacks in recent weeks, was arrested in the village of Salem in the northern West Bank on October 18.
- A Palestinian gunman who killed an Israeli soldier earlier this month was shot dead on October 19 after opening fire at a security guard at a West Bank settlement near Jerusalem.
- Jewish West Bank settlers stormed through a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank on October 19, throwing stones at Palestinian cars and using pepper spray on Israeli troops who were trying to disperse the settlers. Israeli politicians were outraged after the attack troops near Nablus: one suspect was arrested.
- Terrorists fired at Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) at the Jalameh crossing on October 20 and fled the scene – no reported casualties.
- Three men were indicted for transferring sensitive information about Israel’s Cellcom network to Hamas. Authorities say the information makes the Cellcom network vulnerable to a potential cyberattack.
- A 20-year old ultraorthodox Israeli man was stabbed and seriously hurt in what police said was a terror attack in East Jerusalem on October 22: the alleged 16-yr old attacker was shot by an officer after a brief chase.
- Den of Lions member Tamer al-Kilani was killed when an explosive device planted on a motorcycle exploded as he walked by on October 23. The IDF declined to comment on the incident. Israeli analysts later indicated the killing of Al-Kilani “does not change the rules of the game” and that it would “strengthen the organisation.”
- Israeli forces arrest nine suspected terrorists in the West Bank on October 23.
Mali
- An IED killed two UN peacekeepers and wounded four others in Mali on October 17 (NB other reports say three died). The head of the UN mission in Mali (Minusma) later asked the Security Council for the necessary means to ensure its mandate in a country where the security situation remains “volatile” in several regions and where its actions are subject to “restrictions.
Mozambique
- The European Union is considering providing financial support to Rwandan troops fighting an armed Islamic State-linked force in Mozambique’s gas-rich northeastern region.
- Jihadis attacked a ruby mining operation in Cabo Delgado on October 20: no casualties were reported, although some employees may be missing.
Myanmar
- Two parcel bombs detonated on October 19 at the high security Insein Prison in Yangon, killing three prison staff and five visitors and injuring at least another 10 people as the explosions ripped through the prison’s mail room. There has been no claim of responsibility.
- A Myanmar airstrike killed 60 people at concert, according to the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO): the event was held at a base also used for military training by its armed wing, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
Niger
- Suspected jihadist terrorists attacked three trucks and a motorcycle in the Banibangou area of Niger October 22 killing 11 people.
Nigeria
- Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād, confirmed that it carried out an attack on a church in Kogi State on October 16. The attack was the sixth to be claimed by the group in the state in the last six months. Two worshippers died and an unspecified number were wounded.
- Police arrested 40 Boko Haram (BH) ‘food suppliers’ in Borno State on October 18.
- Two more Chibok girls captured in 2014 by BH were rescued in Borno State in late September and early October (one had two sets of twins with her while the other had two children). In addition, the Nigerian army announced that a new camp would be opened for hosting repentant Boko Haram members that were surrendering.
- No fewer than 81,131 Boko Haram terrorists have surrendered to the military, while about 96 Chibok girls are still in the den of the terrorists eight years after they were kidnapped alongside 180 others at their school in Borno State.
Pakistan
- Four Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) were terrorists killed during a raid in the Kharan district of southwestern Pakistan on October 18.
- Two migrant labourers were killed after terrorists hurled a grenade at them in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of October 18.
- Counter-terrorism police arrested two suspected Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Islamabad on October 19. Two kilograms of explosive materials were recovered during their arrests.
- Five suspected terrorists were killed, and three security force members were wounded during a clash in the Splinj area of the Mastung district on October 23. The terrorists were reportedly planning to attack pilgrims and security forces in the area. A large number of firearms and ammunition were recovered during the operation.
- A roadside IED blast killed at least two security members and wounded three others in the Johan area of the Kulat district on October 21. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Philippines
- Philippines Government forces declared the municipalities of Matalam and M’lang in North Cotabato province free from the New People’s Army (NPA) guerrilla presence on October 21.
- An alleged NPA rebel recruiter surrendered to government forces in the town of San Andres on October 19. The rebel turned over a .38 caliber revolver and four bullets.
- At least two NPA rebels and nine militant sympathizers surrendered to government forces in the town of Taysan, Batangas province on October 20.
Somalia
- An IED blast killed at least eight people and wounded five others in the Wadajir district of Mogadishu on October 17 during a traffic jam. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, it bore the hallmarks of previous al-Shabaab (AS) attacks in the city.
- Somali government forces claim to have killed 30 AS terrorists and recaptured several villages in the Middle Shabelle region following special security operations on October 18.
- A governor in central Somalia has announced rewards of up to $25,000 for anyone who kills an AS terrorist, and has said mothers and wives are also targets.
- The US Treasury Department on October 17 designated six AS ‘financiers’ acting as ‘interlocutors’ between the terrorist group and local companies in Somalia.
- A car bomb damaged part of the key bridge in Somalia on October 19: no immediate word on casualties, though likely AS.
- At least 21 people were killed in two AS bombings in central Somalia on October 19.
- An AS suicide attack killed two people including a soldier in central Somalia on October 19: a vehicle laden with weapons ploughed into a military checkpoint in the Hiran region in a “kamikaze” attack.
- Troops from the Somali military seized control of Ali Gadud mosque and Burda’ar villages in the Middle Shabelle region from AS on October 22.
- An AS suicide car bomber crashed into the Tawakal Hotel in Kismayu on October 23 killing three students and wounding eight riding a school bus outside the hotel. The death toll later rose to nine dead and 47 wounded as security forces needed eight hours to regain control of the hotel from the terrorists. Authorities claimed to have killed three AS.
- Over 100 AS terrorists were killed during weekend operation in Middle Shabelle.
Syria
- A suspected ISIS landmine blast killed two Syrian National Defence Forces members and wounded five others on October 17.
- Turkish forces moved to expel members of the Islamist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militia from the northwest Syrian city of Afrin and its surrounding areas on October 21.
- ISIS terrorists attacked a military checkpoint north of Deir Ezzor on October 22: no word on casualties.
- Turkish forces killed four YPG/PKK terrorists in the Operation Euphrates Shield Zone of northern Syria on October 20.
- Nine ISIS members identified as seeking action in Turkey were arrested in an operation organized in Syria’s al-Bab region on October 22.
- Syrian authorities found a mass grave containing the remains of 12 people killed by ISIS in the historic town of Palmyra on October 21.
Thailand
- Islamist terrorists detonated a roadside bomb in Chanae on October 21: a Ranger and four volunteers were wounded.
Togo
- Togo’s security forces on October 20 carried out a simulated jihadist attack in the capital Lome, training to counter a hostage-taking as the country faces increasing threats.
Turkey
- Turkey’s anti-terror unit arrested Serhat Ozel at Istanbul’s airport on October 14: he was nicknamed the “arsenal” of the PKK.
United Kingdom
- A UK man has been jailed following his second conviction for posting an ISIS propaganda video on social media. Jabbir Miah posted the video to a private group with hundreds of members in June last year: the video glorified people who fought for ISIS. Miah was arrest in November 2021 and then charged with dissemination of a terrorist publication.
- The youngest UK girl ever charged with terrorism offences killed herself on October 22 after being groomed by US Neo Nazis.
- A Preston man appeared in court in London’s Old Bailey on October 21 accused of sharing ISIS videos. He has been charged with four offences of disseminating a terrorist publication and four offences of collecting information useful to a terrorist and is due to next appear at Liverpool Crown Court on 10 February.
- A man accused of plotting a terror attack at London’s Hyde Park appeared at the Old Bailey on October 21. Edward Little, 21, allegedly planned to buy a firearm and kill a Christian preacher and others gathered at Speakers’ Corner on or before September 23.
United States
- US federal prosecutors claim that Mohammad Rafi Mohammadi, a translator hired to work in Afghanistan lied about his contacts with recruiters for ISK which was behind a notorious bombing that killed 13 American troops in August 2021.
Yemen
- A suspected Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) IED blast killed a Brigadier General’s son and two soldiers on October 20
