THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITYOFFICE OF NEWS AND INFORMATION3003 N. Charles Street, Suite 100Baltimore, Maryland 21218-3843Phone: (410) 516-7160 / Fax (410) 516-5251
MEDIA ADVISORYMay 2, 2002To: Reporters, Editors, ProducersFrom: Glenn Small | (410) 516-6094 |[email protected]
Re: EXAMINING ISRAEL'S POLICY OF TARGETED KILLINGS
With the High Court of Justice in Israel recently ordering the government to defend its policy of targeted killings or assassinations of suspected terrorists, a closer examination of this controversial policy is developing, and such an examination is important, a Johns Hopkins University professor says.
"I think it warrants a lot more consideration and examination," said Steven David, a professor of political science, and an expert on international security and defense issues who is planning to present a paper entitled, "Fatal Choices: The Israeli Policy of Targeted Killing," at a conference in Israel in June.
David said the Israeli government often will not admit to targeting suspected terrorists, but noted, "When an Israeli helicopter gun ship rockets a car containing Palestinian militants, it's hard to deny."
David said he does not have a personal view on targeted killings, but feels the practice should be more openly discussed and debated, especially in light of the United States endorsing a similar policy in its promises to hunt down Osama Bin Laden and his terrorist associates dead or alive. "There's something unsavory about a democracy sending out hit squads," David said. He added: "A lot of it has to do with whether you think Israel is in a war or not."
Of the responses to terrorism, David noted, targeted killings may be the "least bad" of the options, because incursions into territories and other responses end up harming more innocent civilians. One anomaly that David found was strong support for the policy in Israel, even though most Israelis believe it does not reduce terrorism. "I guess that has to do with a sense of retribution and revenge," David said. "It instills a sense that the bad guys are getting their just deserts."
Aside from concerns about executing people without due process, David said he's also concerned that the widespread use of targeted killings could attack the norms against political assassinations that have developed over the centuries. That could lead to an "open season" mentality and to chaos, David warned.
David also noted that sometimes the targeted killings might produce unexpected consequences, such as the April 1988 killing of Abu Jihad, a deputy to Yassar Arafat. While noting that Jihad had a lot of terrorist acts connected to him, he was also known as a "very pragmatic man," and perhaps one who could have developed as a "reasonable successor to Arafat."
To arrange an interview with David, please call 410-516-6094 or e-mail to: [email protected]
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