Opinion

Can Pakistan learn from Israel?

Irrespective of which party is in power, public have always stood behind the govt, supported counterterrorism measures

Farhan Zahid April 28, 2015

The writer is a senior police officer with a PhD in counterterrorism studies. He is author of the book The Roots Of Violent Islamic Activism In South Asia

Israelis have a unique experience of dealing with a plethora of terrorist groups in the past 47 years. While nothing can condone the atrocities the Israeli state has conducted over the years, we can actually learn from its experience of tackling terrorism. According to the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, terrorist groups have managed to carry out 1,685 attacks in Israel, resulting in more than 3,000 fatalities since 1968. The Israelis learned to deal with terrorism the hard way.

Even after inflicting consecutive crushing defeats on its much larger and formidable Arab neighbours, Israel’s security policies were focused more on strengthening its military capabilities and firepower. A wave of terrorist attacks were launched by militant groups in 1968, the year which also heralded a new era of modern terrorism. The year was marked by a series of hijackings and militant groups made them a part and parcel of their terrorist plots, coupled with assassinations and bomb attacks at Israeli interests both at home and abroad. The Israeli national airline El Al was hijacked on at least four occasions whereas several other airlines carrying Israeli passengers were also hijacked during the 1970s and 1980s. One high-profile incident of international terrorism was carried out in 1972 when 11 Israeli athletes were assassinated at the Munich Olympic Village after a hostage situation. Israelis were targeted in many different ways: assassinations (186), armed assaults (211), bombings/explosions (1,199), attacks on infrastructure (73), hijackings (four), kidnappings (18), hostage-taking (seven), unarmed assaults (23) and miscellaneous (19). In the face of these attacks, Israel’s counterterrorism policies remained successful although they are considered controversial.

The Israeli counterterrorism model is basically police-driven and intelligence-led. Israeli policymakers use military units in curbing terrorism in Gaza and West Bank territories whereas in the mainland, the Israeli police lead all operations with high-grade intelligence provided by the domestic intelligence department Shin Bet. The Israeli military, after receiving information regarding the whereabouts of sponsors and planners of attacks, strikes their hideouts on the basis of high-grade intelligence reports.

Israel’s focus remains on training. The International Institute for Counter-Terrorism at the University of Herzilya is considered one of the best institutions in the world for carrying out research work. The institute has trained scores of academics like Baor Ganor, Eli Bermen, Ami Pehdazur, Assaf Maghdem and Elly Karmon, who are world-renowned in having produced impressive work on counterterrorism. The institute advises the Israeli government on matters concerning counterterrorism backed by high quality research. On the foreign front, the Israeli government has managed to sign peace deals with its hostile neighbours, Egypt and Jordan, limiting the scope of terrorist organisations. However, Israel continues to face problems from the Syrian and Lebanese borders.

On the judicial front, counterterrorism laws and procedures adopted by the Israeli parliament provide enormous powers to law-enforcement agencies to curb and combat terrorism. Terrorists, their sympathisers and supporters, have been awarded lengthy prison terms. Israeli defence production companies also produce state-of-the-art high-tech counterterrorism equipment providing a substantial edge to law-enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Finally, Israeli counterterrorism policies are largely successful because of the prevailing general consensus among the people, the government, the military, intelligence-gathering organisations and the police regarding the importance of dealing with terrorism. Public opinion polls, time and again, have shown that the Israeli public and government are on the same page as far as dealing with terrorism is concerned. Irrespective of which party is in power, the masses have always stood behind the government and supported counterterrorism policy measures. Israel’s counterterrorism policies might be controversial and harsh but enjoy great support among the Israeli masses.

Pakistan, despite its long-standing moral and diplomatic support to the Palestinian cause, can attempt to learn some highly successful features of Israeli counterterrorism policies. Israel has managed to curb terrorist activities within its borders and has defeated a variety of terrorist organisations working against the interests of the state. Pakistani policymakers, if not replicate all of Israeli counterterrorism policies, may endeavour to adopt some in order to root out the menace of terrorism in which more than 55,000 Pakistanis have lost their lives.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2015.

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COMMENTS (13)

Faraz | 9 years ago | Reply @singsong: What Pakistan could definitely learn from Colombia is What NOT to do as a part of its counterterrorism policy. The battle against the FARC involved the creation of monsters that are much worse than the FARC.

Milind | 9 years ago | Reply @Sarfaraz Abbasi - "Israel is an apartheid state with all the tools and tactics that an apartheid regime can use." And Pakistan is a state of equality for all - including minorities...

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Sarfaraz Abbasi | 9 years ago | Reply This is naive really. Pakistan has more capability to execute their operation. Israel is an apartheid state with all the tools and tactics that an apartheid regime can use.

3rdRockFromTheSun | 9 years ago | Reply It is not training, material or technology where Pakistan falls short - it is the intention and willingness to take on the terrorists which is not resolute. and that nobody can 'teach' - it has to come from within.

Munawar Bhatti | 9 years ago | Reply Mr Farhan has written a very well researched article. Pakistan can also learn from the experience of Algeria which successfully eliminated terrorism from the country after prolonged struggle against terrorist groups. As regards Israel the developing world in general and Muslim world in particular has serious concerns on atrocious human rights violations of Palestinian people, who are struggling for their right to self-determination, on the pretext of fighting terrorism. Munawar Bhatti

woody | 9 years ago | Reply Pakistan will never be able to fight terrorism in the manner of Israel, USA or most of the West. You lack the political will to confront religious extremism. Your justice/judicial systems are corrupt/inept and have an abysmal terrorist conviction record. Even after the terrorist slaughter your children you seem content to form committees and make speeches.

SYED KAMRAN ALI SHAH | 9 years ago | Reply We ought to learn these lessons from Israel, but in Pakistan we have to do some extra too.Israel fights against terrorist who do not have any sympathies from the masses because terrorists- Called by Israel- are Muslims and they are supposed to be the religious rival of Jewish too ,so any step taken by government does not annoy the masses, and government can do what ever it wants to.And it is seemed to be appreciated by masses.But in Pakistan we are fighting against the terrorists who are using our religion and pretend themselves Muslims ,so we found some sympathizers for the terrorist in our masses.As a result, government's good steps are often resisted by these sympathizers and their adherents.This shows that if we want to curb this curse, we have to first unveil these sympathizers and then do every thing else necessary to eradicate these terrorists.

wonderer | 9 years ago | Reply Why only Israel? You name it. Pakistan has much to learn from any country in the civilised world!

Asif Alvi | 9 years ago | Reply Pakistan can learn a lot from Israel. We can consult its history to understand: How a nation is raised? How to conduct diplomacy to survive while encircled by the enemies? How to build national institutions? How to make wars and win them? How the country comes before self-interests? But we are not willing to learn anything good. I agree with author that there is a lot to learn from Israel about, not only for immediate measures but for the long term too. It has conducted a long battle and has invented new tactics and matching weapons. Particularly, they are good at moving in urban area safely. But we have, Sri Lanka in our region, it fought a long war, but did not give up. They are embracing peace and growing. We need to do something more arduous: (1)fight against terrorists in our country and along borders, (2) fight against the mindsets we have groomed over the decades, (3) understand how to manage our security without involving non state actors, (4) the madrassa education system which becomes a breeding ground for terrorists,(5) fight against poverty, which is the leading reason to motivate our youth to indulge in unlawful activities, (6) understand that our national interests are not of those of USA or Saudi Arabia, Our challenges are very different, we have yet to evolve as a nation and until we learn this we will keep fighting.We have been fighting since independence, we lost half of the country, we waged three wars against Baluchistan, we crushed MRD in Sindh and now the whole country is burning. Let us learn and learn quickly our we are removed from the map.

Ahmed wani | 9 years ago | Reply Dont know about pakistan..but india should definitely learn from israel how to tackle pakistani strategic assets in kashmir or anywhere in the world...pakistan should learn from some muslim or islamic country...

singsong | 9 years ago | Reply In a National Review, the author Prager is questioning the existing of Pakistan and here we have an article asking Pakistan to learn from Israel experience. I dont see anything wrong with it. I would say another country Pakistan can learn is from Colombia battling with its own Taliban "FARC" on a daily basis.

Babbarsher Khan | 9 years ago | Reply Wow, that's very courageous! How could in the land of pure any thing good about Israeli state be written? Anyway jokes apart we could learn a lot from the Israeli state. Despite having almost no natural resources it is one of the richest country in the middle-east and despite warlike situation in the neighborhood it is the only functioning democracy there.

syed & syed | 9 years ago | Reply Mr. Farhan, you have written a very good article praising Israel. Israel raised Gaza to ground and no Islamic country said a word. Israel is afraid of Lebanon because Hizb Ullah is there. Israel facing Palestinians stoning Israeli might having a three meter high wall surrounding it.So called Palestinian state have no army no ammunition. At will Israel enters into any Palestinian are with full might. On the other hand Pakistan is facing a fully armed militancy backed by India and some other powers.It was much better if you could have studied Iran and its intelligence. There is no police Nakas as seen in Israel. No militancy no foreign agents. Every one is leading a normal safe life..

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