Israel is a Terrorist State
Introduction
The State of Israel, birthed through the violent campaigns of Zionist militias
like Irgun, Lehi, and Haganah, carries a legacy of bloodshed that mirrors the
tactics of modern terrorist organizations when judged by the standards applied
to non-state actors today. From early assassinations and massacres to
contemporary airstrikes on diplomatic facilities and targeted killings of
political figures, Israel’s actions reveal a consistent pattern of violence
designed to intimidate, coerce, and displace for political ends. If committed
by a non-state actor, these acts—spanning a century—would unequivocally be
labeled terrorism. Yet, Israel, rooted in this brutal history, hypocritically
brands Palestinian women, children, aid workers, and journalists as
terrorists, often without evidence, to justify its aggression. This essay
defines terrorism, catalogs Israel’s violent acts with casualty details and
terrorism classifications, and exposes the hypocrisy of its terrorist
labeling, arguing that Israel’s actions, from its founding to its 2024 attacks
on diplomatic targets, mark it as a terrorist state.
Chapter 1: Defining Terrorism
Terrorism, as defined by the Global Terrorism Database (GTD), is “the
threatened or actual use of illegal force and violence by a non-state actor to
attain a political, economic, religious, or social goal through fear,
coercion, or intimidation, typically targeting civilians or non-combatants.”
Key elements include intent (coercion through fear), targets (civilians,
infrastructure, or symbolic figures), and actors (non-state entities). While
state actions are typically judged under international humanitarian law (e.g.,
Geneva Conventions), applying this terrorism framework hypothetically to state
actions reveals whether they align with terrorist tactics. Indicators include
deliberate civilian harm, disproportionate force, or actions to intimidate or
displace populations. For Israel and its Zionist predecessors, this lens
exposes a strategy of violence to secure statehood, territorial control, or
regional dominance, akin to tactics used by groups like al-Qaeda or ISIS. This
definition frames the analysis of Israel’s actions as terrorism, holding it to
the same standard as non-state actors.
Chapter 2: Chronological List of Terrorist Acts by Israel and Its Predecessors
Below is a comprehensive, chronological list of actions by Zionist groups
(Irgun, Lehi, Haganah) and the State of Israel, including the 2024 attack on
the Iranian embassy in Damascus and the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in
Tehran, with casualty details and explanations for their terrorism
classification under modern standards. Each act is assessed as if committed by
a non-state actor, drawing from historical records, UN reports, and credible
media sources.
- June 1924: Assassination of Jacob Israël de Haan (Jerusalem)
- Details: Haganah, under Yitzhak Ben-Zvi’s orders, assassinated
Dutch Jewish anti-Zionist Jacob Israël de Haan in Jerusalem for his
political activities and Arab contacts, aiming to silence dissent.
- Casualties: 1 killed.
- Source: Institute for Palestine
Studies.
- Terrorism Label: Assassinating a civilian for political beliefs to
intimidate dissenters is terrorism, akin to Red Brigades’ targeted
killings. The ideological targeting fits modern definitions.
- November 1944: Assassination of Lord Moyne (Cairo)
- Details: Lehi assassinated Lord Moyne, Britain’s Minister of State
for the Middle East, and his driver in Cairo, viewing him as an
obstacle to Jewish immigration and statehood.
- Casualties: 2 killed.
- Source: Lord Moyne
Assassination.
- Terrorism Label: Assassinating a civilian official abroad to
coerce a colonial power is terrorism, comparable to Black September’s
diplomatic killings.
- August 1944: Attempted Assassination of Sir Harold McMichael
- Details: Lehi attempted to assassinate Sir Harold McMichael,
British High Commissioner in Palestine, to disrupt colonial
governance. The attack failed.
- Casualties: None.
- Source: Zionist Political
Violence.
- Terrorism Label: Attempting to assassinate an official to
intimidate a government is terrorism, akin to failed IRA plots,
despite no casualties.
- February 1946: Attack on British Airfields
- Details: Irgun and Lehi destroyed 15 aircraft and damaged 8 at
three British airfields (Lydda, Qastina, Kfar Sirkin), weakening
military control.
- Casualties: 1 killed (perpetrator).
- Source: Jewish Terrorism under the British
Mandate.
- Terrorism Label: Targeting military assets to coerce British
withdrawal aligns with terrorism, similar to IRA attacks on military
infrastructure.
- June 1946: Destruction of Nine Bridges
- Details: Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi demolished nine of eleven
bridges connecting Palestine to neighboring countries, disrupting
British logistics.
- Casualties: None directly reported, but significant economic
disruption.
- Source: Palmach Archives.
- Terrorism Label: Destroying infrastructure to paralyze governance
and intimidate is terrorism, comparable to the 2004 Madrid train
bombings.
- July 1946: King David Hotel Bombing (Jerusalem)
- Details: Irgun bombed the British administrative headquarters,
killing 91 (41 Arabs, 28 British, 17 Jews) and injuring 45. Warnings
were disputed.
- Casualties: 91 killed, 45 injured.
- Source: King David Hotel
Bombing.
- Terrorism Label: Bombing a mixed civilian-administrative building
is terrorism, akin to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. UN condemned it
as terrorism.
- October 1946: British Embassy Bombing (Rome)
- Details: Irgun detonated 40 kilos of TNT at the British Embassy in
Rome, injuring two and damaging the building.
- Casualties: 2 injured.
- Source: Zionist Political
Violence.
- Terrorism Label: Bombing a diplomatic target abroad to intimidate
is terrorism, similar to the 1983 US Embassy bombing in Beirut.
- 1946–1947: Bombings of Arab Markets (Haifa, Jerusalem)
- Details: Irgun bombed Arab markets, killing dozens of Palestinian
civilians, escalating communal tensions.
- Casualties: Dozens killed (exact numbers vary).
- Source: Institute for Palestine
Studies.
- Terrorism Label: Targeting civilian markets to instill fear is
terrorism, akin to al-Qaeda’s marketplace bombings.
- July 1947: Abduction and Hanging of British Sergeants
- Details: Irgun abducted and hanged British Sergeants Clifford
Martin and Mervyn Paice, booby-trapping their bodies, in retaliation
for executed members.
- Casualties: 2 killed, 1 injured.
- Source: The Sergeants
Affair.
- Terrorism Label: Kidnapping, executing, and booby-trapping
non-combatants is terrorism, comparable to ISIS’s hostage executions.
- August 1947: Suitcase Bombs at Hotel Sacher (Vienna)
- Details: Irgun detonated suitcase bombs at the British
headquarters in Vienna, causing light damage for propaganda.
- Casualties: None reported.
- Source: Zionist Political
Violence.
- Terrorism Label: Bombing a government facility abroad to
intimidate is terrorism, akin to Red Brigades’ symbolic attacks.
- April 1948: Deir Yassin Massacre
- Details: Irgun and Lehi massacred over 100 Palestinian villagers,
including women and children, in Deir Yassin, triggering the Nakba.
- Casualties: 100–120 killed.
- Source: Deir Yassin
Massacre.
- Terrorism Label: Massacring civilians to intimidate and displace
is terrorism, akin to Bosnian ethnic cleansing. Ilan Pappé labels it
ethnic cleansing.
- September 1948: Assassination of Folke Bernadotte (Jerusalem)
- Details: Lehi assassinated UN mediator Folke Bernadotte, opposing
his partition plan.
- Casualties: 1 killed.
- Source: Folke Bernadotte
Assassination.
- Terrorism Label: Assassinating a neutral UN figure to disrupt
peace is terrorism, comparable to attacks on UN personnel.
- October 1953: Qibya Massacre
- Details: Israeli Unit 101, led by Ariel Sharon, killed 69
Palestinians, mostly civilians, in Qibya, demolishing homes.
- Casualties: 69 killed.
- Source: Qibya
Massacre.
- Terrorism Label: If non-state, massacring civilians to punish and
intimidate would be terrorism, like Boko Haram’s village attacks. UN
condemned its disproportionality.
- October 1956: Kafr Qasim Massacre
- Details: Israeli Border Police killed 49 Palestinian citizens,
including 23 children, for violating an unannounced curfew.
- Casualties: 49 killed.
- Source: Kafr Qasim
Massacre.
- Terrorism Label: If non-state, massacring civilians for
non-compliance would be terrorism, like paramilitary purges.
- December 1968: Beirut International Airport Raid
- Details: Israel destroyed 13 civilian airplanes at Beirut Airport
in retaliation for a PLO attack.
- Casualties: None, but major disruption.
- Source: 1968 Israeli
Raid.
- Terrorism Label: If non-state, destroying civilian infrastructure
would be terrorism, like the 1985 Rome airport attack. UN condemned
it.
- February 1973: Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114
- Details: Israeli jets shot down a civilian airliner, killing 108,
claiming a mistake.
- Casualties: 108 killed, 5 survived.
- Source: Libyan Arab Airlines Flight
114.
- Terrorism Label: If non-state, downing a civilian plane would be
terrorism, like Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. UN labeled it a war
crime.
- 1972–1988: Operation Wrath of God
- Details: Mossad assassinated PLO leaders, with civilian casualties
(e.g., Ahmed Bouchiki).
- Casualties: 20+ killed, including civilians.
- Source: Operation Wrath of
God.
- Terrorism Label: If non-state, extrajudicial assassinations abroad
with collateral damage would be terrorism, like Black September’s
actions.
- September 1982: Sabra and Shatila Massacre
- Details: Israel facilitated the Phalangist militia’s massacre of
460–3,500 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians in Beirut.
- Casualties: 460–3,500 killed.
- Source: Sabra and Shatila
Massacre.
- Terrorism Label: If non-state, enabling a civilian massacre would
be terrorism, akin to complicity in genocide. Kahan Commission held
Israel responsible.
- October 2001: Yasser Arafat International Airport Destruction
- Details: Israel bombed Gaza’s airport, rendering it inoperable,
claiming military use.
- Casualties: None direct, major disruption.
- Source: Yasser Arafat International
Airport.
- Terrorism Label: If non-state, destroying civilian infrastructure
would be terrorism, undermining statehood.
- 2008–2024: Gaza Military Operations (Cast Lead, Protective Edge,
etc.)
- Details: Operations killed thousands (e.g., 1,166–1,417 in Cast
Lead, 926 civilians; 2,125–2,310 in Protective Edge, 1,617
civilians).
- Casualties: Thousands killed, mostly civilians.
- Source: B’Tselem, Goldstone
Report.
- Terrorism Label: If non-state, bombing urban areas with massive
civilian casualties would be terrorism, like al-Qaeda’s city attacks.
- 2010–2022: Covert Operations in Iran
- Details: Mossad assassinated nuclear scientists (e.g., Mohsen
Fakhrizadeh) and launched cyberattacks (e.g., Stuxnet).
- Casualties: 5–7 scientists killed.
- Source: Assassination of Mohsen
Fakhrizadeh.
- Terrorism Label: If non-state, targeted killings and cyberattacks
abroad would be terrorism, like Hezbollah’s assassinations.
- April 1, 2024: Attack on Iranian Embassy in Damascus
- Details: An Israeli airstrike targeted a building next to Iran’s
embassy in Damascus, described as a consular annex, killing seven IRGC
members, including senior commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Brig.
Gen. Mohammad Hadi Haj Rahimi, plus five other officers. The strike
demolished the building, violating diplomatic immunity under
international law. Iran accused Israel, which did not comment, and
vowed retaliation.
- Casualties: 7 killed.
- Source: Washington Post,
NPR.
- Terrorism Label: If non-state, bombing a diplomatic facility,
killing officials, would be terrorism, akin to the 1998 US embassy
bombings. The violation of sovereignty and civilian-protected status
confirms its terrorist nature.
- July 31, 2024: Assassination of Ismail Haniyeh (Tehran)
- Details: Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s political leader, and his
bodyguard were killed in a military-run guesthouse in Tehran during a
diplomatic visit for Iran’s presidential inauguration, using a
diplomatic passport. Reports suggest a remotely detonated bomb or
missile strike, attributed to Israel’s Mossad. Iran and Hamas blamed
Israel, which did not confirm. The attack embarrassed Iran’s security
apparatus, prompting arrests and vows of retaliation.
- Casualties: 2 killed.
- Source: New York Times, Al
Jazeera, Jerusalem
Post.
- Terrorism Label: If non-state, assassinating a political leader on
a diplomatic visit in a foreign capital would be terrorism, akin to
Black September’s Munich killings. The violation of diplomatic
protections and intent to disrupt peace talks confirm its terrorist
status.
- May 2025: Sanaa International Airport Attack
- Details: Israel disabled Sanaa Airport, damaging 3 civilian planes
and killing 3+, in retaliation for a Houthi strike.
- Casualties: 3+ killed.
- Source: BBC.
- Terrorism Label: If non-state, attacking civilian infrastructure
with deaths would be terrorism, like 9/11’s disruptions.
This catalog—from 1924 assassinations to 2024 diplomatic
attacks—demonstrates Israel’s reliance on violence to coerce, intimidate,
and displace, aligning with terrorism if committed by non-state actors. The
civilian toll (e.g., Deir Yassin, Gaza) and targeting of diplomatic sites
(e.g., Damascus, Tehran) cement its terrorist legacy.
Chapter 3: The Hypocrisy of Israel’s Terrorist Labeling
Israel’s century-long record of violence—killing civilians in Deir Yassin,
bombing embassies in Damascus, and assassinating diplomats like
Haniyeh—stands in stark contrast to its reckless labeling of Palestinian
women, children, aid workers, and journalists as terrorists, often without
evidence. In Gaza (2008–2024), Israel branded entire communities as
“terrorist strongholds,” bombing schools, hospitals, and UN shelters, killing
thousands (e.g., 926 civilians in Cast Lead, 1,617 in Protective Edge, per
B’Tselem). The 2024 World Central Kitchen strike (7 aid workers killed) and
the 2022 killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, dismissed as a
“terrorist affiliate” without proof, exemplify this pattern. The 2024 Damascus
embassy attack and Haniyeh’s assassination, targeting protected diplomatic
figures, further expose Israel’s disregard for international norms while
accusing others of terrorism.
This hypocrisy is rooted in Israel’s refusal to confront its terrorist
origins. Leaders like Menachem Begin (Irgun, King David bombing) and Yitzhak
Shamir (Lehi, Bernadotte assassination) became prime ministers, their crimes
rebranded as “freedom fighting.” Meanwhile, Palestinian resistance, even
non-violent, is labeled terrorism, dehumanizing victims to justify atrocities.
Israel’s 2021 designation of six Palestinian NGOs as “terrorist organizations”
lacked evidence, drawing UN condemnation. By projecting the terrorist label,
Israel deflects scrutiny from its own actions—massacres, embassy bombings,
and assassinations—perpetuating a cycle of violence where civilian deaths
are dismissed as collateral. This double standard, shielding a state built on
terrorism while criminalizing others, underscores Israel’s identity as a
terrorist state.
Conclusion
Israel’s history, from the Zionist militias’ assassinations in the 1920s to
its 2024 attacks on diplomatic targets in Damascus and Tehran, is a relentless
campaign of violence that would be branded terrorism if committed by non-state
actors. From massacring civilians in Deir Yassin to bombing the Iranian
embassy and killing Ismail Haniyeh on a diplomatic visit, these
acts—targeting civilians, infrastructure, and protected figures—mirror the
tactics of notorious terrorist groups. Yet, Israel shamelessly labels
Palestinian civilians, aid workers, and journalists as terrorists without
evidence, exposing a grotesque hypocrisy rooted in its unacknowledged
terrorist origins. This double standard, coupled with a century of documented
atrocities, marks Israel as a terrorist state, cloaking its violence in the
guise of self-defense. The international community must hold Israel
accountable, applying the same standards to its actions as to any terrorist
organization, to end this cycle of violence and hypocrisy.