Terrorism Against Israelis Defies Borders

Terrorism Against Israelis Defies Borders

Mitchell Bard

Hezbollah Troops

The terror war against Israel and the Jewish people is not confined to the Middle East. For years PLO terrorists attacked Jewish targets around the world, hijacked airplanes, murdered Olympic athletes and targeted diplomats. This worldwide terror campaign appears to be escalating again with the support of Iran, aided by its proxy Hezbollah. As events of the past few months show, terrorism against Jews is neither a byproduct of "occupation", nor a response to specific Israeli actions but is bred out of wanton incitement to kill Jews wherever they are.

In February 2012, terrorists attacked official Israeli representatives abroad in India and Georgia, while in Thailand security officials were able to prevent Iranian and Lebanese cells from carrying out their planned strikes. Thai security officials arrested several Iranian men who likely were trying to attack Israelis in Bangkok. These incidents came on the heels of the January arrest of three Iranian men in Azerbaijan who had planned to kill two Israeli religious emissaries in Baku. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated unequivocally that Israel holds Iran responsible for the string of attacks.

"In recent months we have witnessed several attempts to attack Israeli citizens and Jews in several countries," he said. "Iran and its proxy Hezbollah were behind all of these attempted attacks ... Iran is behind these attacks; it is the largest exporter of terrorism in the world."

These are just the latest atrocities perpetrated by Iran and its allies. Argentina's Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed in 1992, long before any tensions over Iran's nuclear program. That bomb killed 29 and injured more than 250. Among the victims were Israeli diplomats, children, clergy from a church located across the street and other bystanders. Two years later, the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 85 and wounding 300. "Just as we have seen in the past, the Jews are the convenient first target for crazy dictatorships, but not the last," Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said.

For now, Jews are the targets, but if steps are not taken to stop Iran's nuclear program, the entire world may face the perilous threat of Iranian-sponsored global terrorism buttressed by a nuclear capability.

Cutting Edge contributor Mitchell Bard directs The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise.

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