Only the Israeli Model Can Save the London Bridge

The main bridges of London were just reinforced with large concrete blocks. Waterloo, Lambeth, Westminster, London Bridge … Everywhere the same scene. Enormous cubes to protect pedestrians from terror car attacks, which have sown death and panic in the British capital in the last two months.

The metropolis on the Thames thus becomes acquainted with an Israeli invention in its war against Islamic terrorism. From the cars launched on the passersby to the knife attacks against civilians, the Jewish State has been a laboratory for all the forms of terrorism that have been bleeding Europe in the last two years (52 dead only in 2017, with a successful or attempted attack every 9 days). The State of Israel offers Europe the only positive model of a liberal democracy overcoming Islamic terrorism.

In 2008, during the “sacred” month of Ramadan, the first Palestinian vehicle was launched into the crowd in Jerusalem. Since then, Israel’s capital has spent half a million dollars to erect these concrete blocks at three hundred bus and tram stations (300 knife attacks and 44 cars in the Third Intifada). A few days ago, British Prime Minister Theresa May gave a typical “Israeli” speech, in which she said that to fight against terrorism, the UK is ready to clean up some laws on the protection of “human rights.” In Israel, the most famous incarnation of this is the so-called “administrative detention.” In case of an imminent threat, it allows the Israelis to arrest someone without charge for an indefinite period, without informing the suspect of the reasons for his imprisonment.

But before the physical barriers to protect the civilians at airports, pedestrian areas, buses and malls, Europe must identify the enemy, as Israel did. It is a matter of state of mind that Europe has not yet done so. Europe must abandon appeasement. That is the first deterrence, in which the West says to the Muslim supremacists: “You will not win, we will never live under Sharia.” As Israel told them: “You will not win, we will not turn Israel into Palestine.” In Europe, terror sites become shrines for secular pilgrimages. All these candles and vigils make the terrorists more willing to strike the “infidels.” In Israel, the opposite happens: after an attack, the Israeli Jews mourn and then go ahead, more willing to destroy their own enemies.

Europe should also fight ISIS in Syria and Iraq, keeping them busy there, as Israel is doing along all its borders. Terrorist attacks in Europe are already pushing NATO to increase cooperation with Israel. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s Secretary General, should visit Israel in the coming months and meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Counselors.

Israel was the first country to face suicide terrorism in its streets, long before New York or Manchester. Israel was the first country whose airline passengers were taken hostage. The Pentagon copied Israeli tactics used during the Intifada to fight the Islamic urban guerrillas in Iraq and Afghanistan. Israel paved the way for the use of helicopters for targeted operations and drones, both used by the United States against terrorist cells in Pakistan and Yemen. Israel is also the first country in the world with an operating system capable of knocking down incoming enemy missiles.

In Europe, religious and ethnic profiling is forbidden due to political correctness, and this must change. At the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, considered the safest in the world, all passengers awaiting check-in are questioned by security agents asking questions about their trip, detecting nervousness or inconsistent statements. If the responses rise some suspicion, the passenger is selected for further screening, which may involve hours of interrogation and exhaustive search of his luggage. Europe should adopt that method. There is another lesson coming from Israel: zero tolerance for incitement, the software of Islamic terrorism. Words kill. Israel also rejected the suicidal multiculturalism Europe is embracing.

Europe must also stop dealing with terrorists as if these were mere criminals. Europe must be strong and sacrifice some human rights to defeat terrorism. There are no free meals in the war against Jihadism. That is how Israel has minimized the damage, passing from 150 deaths in 2002 to 15 deaths per year today. There is no way to fight terrorism by making the innocents pay the price. It is morally important to show the Islamic supremacists that you are fighting them in Rotherham as well as Raqqa.

At this moment, in the skies of Afghanistan, the NATO countries are using Israeli drones to fight against the Taliban and the Islamic State. Let’s hope that the experience and the value of Israel will also help to prevent the collapse of the London Bridge, where the first Roman garrisons stationed, where the works of Shakespeare were recited and which for many generations symbolized the bridge of the Western civilization.

A Europe waging war against Israel will become Eurabia. An Europe embracing the Jewish State will continue to be itself. Unfortunately, it looks as if Europe is choosing the first suicidal way.