Eight Palestinians arrested in overnight West Bank raid

[Behind the Aegis]

Israel Defense Forces arrested eight Palestinians suspected of terror involvement late Monday night in the West Bank.

Six Islamic Jihad and two Hamas gunmen were arrested in raids near Jenin, Tul Karm and Hebron.

Earlier, a Palestinian gunman hurled an explosive device at an Israel Defense Forces checkpoint in the West Bank city of Hebron on Monday evening.

The device exploded but the ZAKA emergency service said there were no immediate reports of casualties at the checkpoint, located near the Tomb of the Patriarchs, a site holy to Muslims and Jews.

...more... http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/651042.html

[Englander]

1. Question -

Is this an example of terrorism?

--Earlier, a Palestinian gunman hurled an explosive device at an Israel Defense Forces checkpoint in the West Bank city of Hebron on Monday evening.--

[Englander]

2. Or is this?

'PA police fire on undercover IDF unit in Bethlehem
By Jonathan Lis

Palestinian policemen opened fire at undercover Israel Defense Forces soldiers during an operation in Bethlehem yesterday.

No soldiers were hurt during the incident, and the IDF said its inquiry revealed that no policemen were hurt. However, the Palestinians said one policeman was wounded

According to the army's initial inquiry, the Palestinian police had not been informed about the army operation. Thus, when the soldiers, who were disguised to look like Arabs, came to arrest a wanted man not far from City Hall, the policemen took them for members of an armed Palestinian gang. They opened fire almost immediately after the soldiers got out of their car. In response, the soldiers fired warning shots into the air until an IDF backup force that was waiting nearby rushed to the scene and rescued them.

Bethlehem police commander Issa Hejo claimed the Israelis opened fire first, as they neared a Palestinian checkpoint.

According to army sources, the standard procedure for informing the Palestinians of an IDF presence in a Palestinian city is to notify them as soon as the soldiers arrive. However, the soldiers had no time to conduct the standard notification procedure because the policemen opened fire immediately, the sources said.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/651669.html

[eyl]

3. By your question

I take it you don't think that's terrorism?

If so, can I understand you're withdrawing your opposition to Israel's assassination policy (the principle of it, at least)?

[Englander]

4. No, I don't, as the target was a military checkpoint.

Also, note the location. The target was, if you like, symbolic of
the brutal Occupation. That doesn't mean that I think it's legal, or
behaviour that should be encouraged, or something I would do myself;
I understand why it happens, I understand that such incidents will
occur as long as the underlining issues are ignored & perpetuated,
& I wish that alternative tactics should be considered. But, no, it's
not terrorism.

--If so, can I understand you're withdrawing your opposition to Israel's assassination policy (the principle of it, at least)?--

Red herring.
No, as the name suggests, (extrajudicial) it's still illegal. And
in-effective, & targeted against civilians. State terrorism, if you like.

[eyl]

5. It's very on-point

The mere fact that someone is a combatant is not sufficient to make an attack on him legal; the attacker must also be a combatant. But if the attacker is a combatant, he loses the right of noncombatant immunity civilians possess, and attacks on him become legitimate as well. "Extrajudicial execution" is a misnomer, since an attack upon a military target is not an execution in any sense of the word. OTOH, a civilian cannot be a military target, but if he commits any attack - even if the target is a soldier - he's committed an act of murder, regardless of the circumstances (with the exception of direct self-defense).

The issue of whether or not non-state actors can become combatants - and exactly what rights they enjoy as such, and whatc constitutes sufficient action for them to attain that status - is a murky one under international law. But the position you're advancing here is that Palestinian militants enjoy all the rights of both combatants and civilians, without any of the liabilities.

EDIT - After rereading your post, I note you say you don't necessarily think it's legal. But if it's not legal, than it becomes terrorism.

[manic expression]

6. What about

the French Resistance or Polish Partisans during WWII? Terrorists?

The fact is that terrorism is done to instill fear in a general population. That action didn't do that. It was an attack upon an occupying military force. Call it "rebellion", "insurgency" or something similar, but calling it "terrorism" is incorrect.