Zion to Sion: From Israel, lessons for Mumbai

The Pioneer Newspaper, India ^ | Friday, July 14, 2006 | The Pioneer Newspaper, India

[CarrotAndStick]

From Israel, lessons for Mumbai ---- Facetious as it may sound, weeks like this one are ripe for bemoaning the limits to outsourcing, and the fact that the mandate for India's internal security cannot be contracted out to the iron-willed consciousness of Israel. In the past two days, Israel has bombed Beirut airport and begun a naval blockade of Lebanon, aimed at disrupting the supply lines of Hizbullah terrorists and weaponry. It has refused to negotiate following Hizbullah's kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers, recognised that outrage for what it is - an act of war - and gone on the offensive, determined to uproot the sources of terror. In the past fortnight, Israel has also moved its soldiers into Gaza, after fresh attacks from there - even as the rogue "Government of Palestine" looked on encouragingly - and the abduction of a military officer. It is impossible not to contrast these tough and unambiguous measures with the pusillanimity and squeamishness of the UPA Government after the Mumbai train blasts or, indeed, the relentless cycle of terrorist assaults that began almost exactly one year ago, in Ayodhya. There is denial about home-grown terrorism - UPA Ministers never tire of claiming that no Indian is a member of Al Qaeda, ignoring the growing number of non-Kashmiri recruits in the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, with cells uncovered in, at least, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. There is praise for Mumbai's "resilience" and "spirit", as if these were substitutes for concrete Government action. No country suffers the frequency of bomb attacks that Israel does - in markets, discotheques, restaurants, everyday places. Ordinary Israelis get up, dust themselves and go on with life. They display the remarkable human ability to bounce back that, on the morning of July 12, brought Mumbai back on track. Yet the Government in Tel Aviv doesn't take solace from this, wring its hands, sit down and do nothing. It salutes its brave citizens by destroying - or pre-empting - those who mean them harm.

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Politics of self-defeat

Tuesday's serial blasts in Mumbai, yet another critical reminder of the asphyxiating grasp of terrorism on India, is an ominous signal to the political class in New Delhi that sadbhavana (goodwill) trips to Pakistan cannot obliterate the ideology of hate that has assumed alarmingly national proportions today. Admittedly, the whole world acknowledges that terrorism is the biggest challenge to progress in the 21st century. The "bin Ladenisation" of Islam was duly registered with the 9/11 attacks on the United States. Subsequently, the motivations of radical Islam have become visible worldwide with terrorists exerting greater and graver psychological pressure on populations across the world.

[CarrotAndStick]

[maxypane]

"No country suffers the frequency of bomb attacks that Israel does - in markets, discotheques, restaurants, everyday places. Ordinary Israelis get up, dust themselves and go on with life"

We Indians also get up, dust ourselves and go on with our lives....so does our government.

[paul51]

that terrorism islamic fascists is the biggest challenge to progress in the 21st century.

We need to be clear on the problem. War on terror is too nebulous. War on islamic fascists worldwide is what we are dealing with.

[JimSEA]

[T]he motivations of radical Islam have become visible worldwide with terrorists exerting greater and graver psychological pressure on populations across the world.

The lessons of Mumbai for Americans and all others pressured by Islam. Israel understands now. The gaza withdrawal of troops was futile just as appeasement elsewhere will only encourage our mutual enemy.

[Gengis Khan]

Is our coward government reading this?

[P8riot]

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