When Hamas launched an attack against Israel on 7th October 2024, Israel was caught unaware and unprepared. In this attack, around 1,200 people in Israel lost their lives, and around 100 people were taken hostage by Hamas. It was an unprovoked attack. This attack can justifiably be termed an act of terrorism, although Hamas claims that it was justified from their point of view.
Under the circumstances, Israel was left with no alternative but to counter-attack Hamas, and the war is ongoing, with Israel determined to ensure that such a terrorist attack does not happen again on its soil. Now, Hezbollah has also joined the fight against Israel, with Iran entering the war on Hezbollah’s side.
All said and done, the fact remains that this ongoing war was initiated by a terrorist attack against Israel and was not started by Israel.
In recent years, several terrorist attacks have occurred in different countries, including the September 11 terrorist attack in the USA, when 2,996 people lost their lives, and the 26th November terrorist attack in Mumbai, India, when 174 people lost their lives. In all these instances of terrorist attacks, the affected countries engaged in defensive wars against the terrorists. While a few terrorists were killed, many of those responsible for launching these attacks have almost gone scot-free.
Now, Israel is responding to the 7th October attack in a different way, engaging in an offensive counter-attack against the terrorists.
Earlier, LTTE terrorists carried out several attacks in Sri Lanka for many years. Finally, the Sri Lankan government launched an offensive counter-attack, effectively eliminating the LTTE terrorists for all practical purposes. When the war ended, it was evident that thousands of people had lost their lives in Sri Lanka, including innocent civilians, terrorists, and Sri Lankan army personnel. However, Western countries criticised the Sri Lankan government for its counter-attack against the terrorists, calling it a violation of human rights. Now, the United Nations Human Rights Commission accuses the Sri Lankan government of its offensive actions against terrorists, instead of recognising that the Sri Lankan government was merely protecting its territorial integrity, just as Israel is doing now.
In these circumstances, one cannot help but notice that the reaction of Western countries to the Sri Lankan government’s offensive action against terrorists has been different from their stance on Israel’s offensive actions.
India is another country facing numerous terrorist attacks, particularly in the Kashmir region, and has largely taken defensive actions against terrorists, rather than attacking the bases from which they operate outside India. Some people accuse India of human rights violations in Kashmir, whereas the reality on the ground is that India must protect its territorial integrity by fighting against terrorists who have killed hundreds of innocent people in the region.
When Hamas attacked Israel, and Israel counter-attacked, there were several demonstrations in different countries opposing Israel’s actions. These protesters have largely ignored the terrorist acts committed by Hamas on 7th October.
It is unfortunate that many of the terrorists and terrorist organisations operating in a few countries belong to a particular religion, and most terrorist acts are carried out by these groups. This led former US President Trump to refer to them as “Islamic terrorists.”
In any case, it appears that today Israel has substantial global support, particularly among discerning observers who recognise that Israel is truly engaged in a war against terrorists.
There is widespread opinion that terrorism must be eradicated at any cost, and many have been wondering who would take the lead. Perhaps, there is a growing impression that Israel is now spearheading the global fight against terrorism.
Finally, it is important to note that those who engage in acts of terrorism often claim they have justifiable reasons and sometimes describe themselves as liberators. However, the prevailing global view is that, regardless of the cause, no group should resort to terrorism to achieve its aims.
