Bomb in Rishon L'tsion...too close for comfort

[Gordon Fitch]

Gordon Fitch wrote:
> > Let us assume that Palestinians are as smart as we are.  Then
> > that must be the desired effect.  Certainly, suicidal terror
> > bombing cannot be expected to give its targets the impression
> > that their enemies can be dealt with on a basis of reason and
> > compromise.  Nor are such acts aimed against the substantial
> > military force or economy of the target.  As asymmetrical war,
> > their aim has to be to destroy the enemy spiritually, by
> > provoking the enemy to act in such a way that they and their
> > friends cease to believe good of themselves, their actions,
> > and their future.  Even the atrociousness of the acts of the
> > suicide bombers will begin to taint them: "This is what you
> > made of us."  And Israel is especially vulnerable to this kind
> > of attack because of the ideological way it was constituted.
> > This is one war I think they are losing, and it is hard to see
> > how they can get out of the trap.

Michael Perelman:
> Why assume a monolithic category, Palestinians?

I proposed assuming that the Palestinians were as smart as
we are.  That does not seem to me to make a monolith of them.
We expect the latest attack to bring a reprisal.  Therefore,
I believe that they, too, expect the latest attack to bring 
a reprisal, for the reason given.  Not all Palestinians are
suicide bombers (yet), but that community does produce them.
Therefore, I conclude that the suicide bombers expect their
acts to bring reprisal just as the rest of their community
does.  The rest follows from this guess and from thinking
about the nature of asymmetric war in general, inspired by
having observed it more closely than I might have liked.

-- Gordon