An Eye for an Eye
The Lessons of Honor Challenges for Homeland Security
While the kidnapping of Israelis has been leveraged by Palestinian factions in the past, the abduction and killing of three Israeli teenage boys, presumed to have been conducted by Hamas militants earlier this week, was considered particularly ruthless, even in a region all too familiar with violent acts. The senseless murders of such young people who were not acting in an official capacity at the time they were taken against their will has sparked a furor throughout Israel and condemnation elsewhere.
The anticipated retaliatory air raids, rounding up of suspected Hamas operatives, and even the demolition of suspects’ homes by Israeli forces did not seem to appease the desire for revenge in light of the unprovoked killing of three innocents. The only thing more palpable then the outrage expressed in the streets of Jerusalem is the fear provoked by such a random and vicious attack. This clearly had to have been the part of the calculus of the perpetrators of these acts of terror, as did the honor challenge that it invoked upon the Israelis.
Although formal military action could be expected, the extreme impact this would have on some Israelis was a possible miscalculation on the part of the Palestinians who executed this plan. Although the typical government sanctioned military actions could be expected, the vigilantly capture and burning to death of a 16 year old Palestinian boy and its sheer brutality may not have been foreseen. This certainly has escalated the tension in the region and uped the anti for the next round of retaliation. While the honor challenge presented by the initial actions by the Palestinians faction has been responded to in force by the Israelis, each side finds itself in undesirable positions as a result of a few who perpetuate the ancient Hammurabi code of an “Eye for an Eye.”
The stakes however go well beyond the murder of four innocent boys and the grief of their families on both sides of this conflict. As Palestinian youth call for a new Intifada and rocket attacks increase against Israel, the Palestinians face harsher military intervention from the Israeli Defense Force. In the wake of failed U.S. brokered peace negotiations, each side must weigh their options. Ultimately, they must decide to pursue the perpetual and ever escalating cycle of honor challenges, or abandon a cultural philosophy embodied by the phrase an Eye for an Eye and accept the losses inflicted by a few for the greater benefit of all. Hopefully they can heed the words and example of Suha Abu Kheir, the slain Palestinian boy’s mother, who in her mourning said “Acts of revenge do nothing. They only make people hate more and only open a door for more revenge and more bloodshed.”
Homeland security professionals must have an understanding of this important Social Identity Theory principle in order to frame policies, responses, and public statements to acts of terror . It is also essential when forming dialogues with those whose “hearts and minds” we are trying to win over as well as our enemies. Failing to consider honor challenges as an underlying means of diplomacy among certain cultural groups, particularly Middle Eastern ones, can lead to unintended consequences and misinterpretations. As an example, when president George W. Bush referred to the United States’ response to 9/11 as a “crusade” was widely regarded as a miscue that may have offended and alienated the Muslim audience that heard his statement.
These lessons are just as important in the homeland when trying to institute community policing, cultural outreach and counter radicalization programs. as they are in international relations. Providing alternative, unbiased and meaningful means of justice can help overcome the Eye for an Eye mentally; preventing unrest in certain enclaves and lead those teetering on the fence of radicalization to follow the positive example of a mother who suffered an unbearable injustice and in the height of her mourning rejected the path of retaliation and instead turned to one of reconciliation.
