Israel: What can stop the suicide bombers?

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The suicide bomber problem should be treated as a social rather than political problem. Suicide acts that murder civilians are supported in Palestinian schools, families, communities, religious institutions and by the Palestinian leadership. When the practice is seen as abhorrent rather than glorified it will stop. Israel agreed to give land for peace and didn't get peace. If the killing stops, there will be a surge of support for the Palestinian cause.
Jason, Canada

The only option seems to be an international peacekeeping force

Terry, Netherlands

Well at the moment they are not even talking. Obviously they can't come to an agreement on their own, so the UN has to forcefully step in. The only option to me seems to be an international peacekeeping force which allows both parties some breathing space. But at the moment they are so very on each other's throat it is scary. And Israel is extremely hostile towards the UN which it accuses of being biased. But I do not see another option.
Terry, Netherlands

The only thing that can stop the suicide bombings is for the world to make it clear to the various Palestinian factions that terrorism won't get them what they want. These organisations receive both sympathy and publicity from much of world opinion (including from some UK politicians and their wives) even after the worst acts of violence against unarmed civilians. The moment the world as a whole condemns these attacks outright instead of excusing them, the extremists will be marginalised and a negotiated settlement will once again be on the table.
Michael, London, UK

The problem is communication. Instead of the US being an intermediary, I think we should put Sharon and Arafat face-to-face and make them talk. Just giving the land back to the Palestinians won't be a solution to this problem.
Rahul G, USA

There will only be peace when both sides stop talking about their rights and start thinking about their responsibilities
ShahRiz, Japan

We suffer from a drought of great leadership.

Mohammad Mohsin, USA

I think the problem is political. We suffer from a drought of great leadership. For now we have deal with Ariel Sharon who does not want to talk peace, Yasser Arafat who wants to talk peace but cannot compromise, George W Bush who wants to talk peace but for Israel only... Until then both sides fight for the upper hand, both indulging in terrorism, and so both the Palestinian and Israeli people lose...
Mohammad Mohsin, USA

I believe these would halt dramatically if the would-be perpetrators were deprived of the gory details of previous attacks. The endlessly retold tales of daily carnage is probably what motivates others with similarly disturbed minds to go out and do likewise. Take away the spotlight and see... the effect will be instantaneous. Then the two sides can sit to talk in a less emotionally charged environment and hopefully resolve some issues.
Laura, Caribbean

I follow the news carefully, but I have never seen anything about steps taken by the PA to reduce or control suicide bombers, other than public statements of condemnation. If Arafat truly believes that suicide bombers harm his cause, why isn't he taking extraordinary and visible actions to stop them?
Judith, USA

Israel, a democratically-elected government, continues to build settlements, in the name of religion, on illegally occupied land. We should suppress the fanaticism that exists on both sides so that the moderate majority can live in peace.
Debbie, United Kingdom

We human beings tend to keep on trying the same thing over and over again, even though it always fails.

Philip Barker, Canada

It's hard to understand why the Israeli government continues to believe that reprisals and incursions into Palestinian territory will stop suicide bombings, when all the evidence to date is that they provoke more bombings. Why continue using responses which have been proved unsuccessful in the past? But I've noticed that we human beings tend to keep on trying the same thing over and over again, even though it always fails.
Philip Barker, Canada

Israel must not hold back anymore. They must move in their troops and occupy the region. It is obvious that Arafat and the Palestinians are not interested in stopping terrorism. They are not worthy of nor are they capable of peacefully governing an independent state. Israel must be free to end the cycle of violence through all means necessary to achieve victory. The Arab states are more than culpable for supporting terrorists. Now they can be responsible for dealing with homeless Palestinian refugees.
Bill, USA

I have lived in the Arab world for some time, and it seems to me that the desire of the Palestinians to become suicide bombers is caused principally not by any humiliation they are subjected to, but by their desire, independent of outside causes, to become 'martyrs' and thus win a sure ticket to heaven. Solution? I don't want to present any short-term one. But the long-term one is clear: to introduce the Arabs to the secular, moderate values that the West found indispensable to civilisation already a long time ago (after a tedious and painful search). Any of the three monotheistic religions considered as infallible and as an inviolable codes of morality is not the way to go, now that we are in the year 2002.
Ondrej , Czech Republic

Let's bring people from both sides to justice in war crimes tribunals.

Zeeshan, UK

Let's bring people from both sides to justice in war crimes tribunals. This will give the Israelis and Palestinians a clear message that the world is concerned and is not prepared to sit by and just watch as terrorist crimes against humanity are perpetrated.
Zeeshan, UK

The Palestinians and their terrorist groups have a very clear agenda - a relentless desire to kill all Israelis. Therefore, a Palestinian state will not guarantee and end to this diabolic act. My feeling is that Israel must continue to protect her people in whatever way suitable.
Trevor Shongwe, Swaziland

To eliminate an ailment, we need to treat it directly and not just its symptoms. The ailment is war and insecurity in the Mid East, not the suicide bombings. We need to understand who is responsible to what extent and then the responsible would need to be appropriately corrected. I think the debate or rather the treatment needs to go deeper than the suicide bombings. These suicide bombers have been pushed beyond all limits of desperation. It is as cruel to blame them for everything as it is to kill innocent children travelling in their school buses.
Irfan Hilal, USA

To all the people who believe Israel should unilaterally withdraw from the Palestinian territories: This will not solve anything. Despite the popular belief in this magic formula that will make everything perfect, it will only allow the Palestinians to have their terrorism state sponsored, and will open an even bloodier conflict.
Aviv Dagan, Israel

They are not suicide bombers, they are homicide bombers.

Laurie, England

One thing is clear; we should call these murderers by their proper name. They are not "suicide bombers"; they are "homicide bombers". How to stop them? Arrest and jail them and those who encourage, finance or protect them, as one would do with any criminals.
Laurie, England.

Israel cannot rely on Arafat to stop suicide bombing because he himself is at the mercy of the terrorists. Israel has to respond just like the 1967 six day war, an all out war to stop the terrorists once and for all.
Allan

Here in the US we have had several incidents where school children have resorted to gunning down or blowing up their schoolmates because they feel "picked on". There are husbands and wives that kill their own spouses and children because everyday life just brings too much pressure. We attempt to rationalise these behaviours as bad parenting or biochemical imbalances, treatable by medical intervention and therapy. Yet, Americans can not comprehend why young Palestinians sacrifice their lives to kill innocent civilians. Many even go as far to say these people must be either brainwashed or just pure evil. These are people who have lived under state sponsored oppression for more than fifty years, with practically nothing to hope for or aspire to. Maybe they too feel picked on and pressured by everyday life. I could not imagine that any American would react any differently, but if they did I am sure they could find a very righteous rational for why they did so.
Hassan Musa, USA

There will be never be peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The world must accept that the two must be kept apart or there will be continual violence and death. Give the Palestinians some land, build a big fence to keep them out of Israel and the Israelis out of Palestine. Stop politicians like Blair from forcing the two sides to talk - they will never agree - and we may see an end to the bloodshed. It will take bravery on both sides and less interference from Blair and Bush but it can work. The hatred is too deep-rooted, we must accept that.
Andres Amigo, Spain

There are fanatics on both sides who only want to completely eliminate the other

Brian J. Bliss, USA

Peace will not come from creating separate states "to peacefully co-exist". There are fanatics on both sides who only want to completely eliminate the other and the violence will not end until one or the other are completely crushed - which will also not happen. Peace will come when the people of Palestine and Israel finally realise that living together does not mean you have to love one another - but you must respect the other's right to exist.
Brian J. Bliss, USA

I am certainly not the type to get involved in political matters. I am however, noticing an increase in people willing to kill themselves to prove a point. The only point I can see is that these people are so desperate that they are willing to die to be heard. Maybe we need to hear them. As a woman, I am sure that other women are tired of losing their sons, and the strategy of listening may at least provide a cease suicide.
Rhonda Coleman, USA

I don't understand why any people would live in refugee camps for decades. Why don't Arab countries who are always decrying the injustices against their Arab brothers offer permanent homes and assimilate at least willing Palestinian refugees? I suspect the Arab states are using the Palestinians as pawns to continue to harass Israel.
John, USA

The Palestinian people have been humiliated and traumatised for a generation

Juan Zapata, Mexico

Tragically, the answer to this question is that nothing can stop the suicide bombers. The Palestinian people have been humiliated and traumatised for a generation. Mix this condition with nationalism and religious fanaticism and you are left with thousands of individuals who have an all consuming hatred of the state of Israel. Wherever the roots of blame lie, whatever the proposed solutions; too many seeds have been sown.
Juan Zapata, Mexico

I think the only way to stop the suicide bombings is for the Europeans to publicly announce they will not support a Palestinian state until the bombings stop. Only then will Palestinians who truly want a peaceful and separate state invest in efforts to stop the bombings. Current European support of the Palestinians only fuels the situation.
Erik, UK

Israel has the power to forge a lasting peace but must secularise their government and give up the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. As long as people think it is their religious right to occupy the land of oppressed peoples you will have suicides but no peace.
Pierre, Canada

What's needed here is a huge United Nations presence

Pete, UK

More like how do we make Israel more secure? Tanks into the West Bank and huge walls? Totally pathetic! What's needed here is a huge United Nations presence to wrench these two apart until a peace process is well and truly underway.
Pete, UK

Suicide bombings are not only hurting Israelis but Palestinians as well. As I grief for all the Palestinians that were killed throughout the last bloody twenty months, I also believe that killing Israeli civilians will only intensify the situation and increase hatred between the two nations. I think that if Israel gives Palestinians their rights back, then there will be no excuse for any terror triggered from any side.
Victor Nammour, Palestine

First the cycle of violence must be stopped. If not, there will be more bad blood on both sides, more retaliation and more suicide bombers. Then the Palestinian state must be established. The stick clearly has not worked, so why doesn't Israel use the carrot? Let's say that for every week without a suicide bomber, Israel will give a certain amount in investment to Palestinian areas to build schools and hospitals.
Zoe, UK

When Israel did in the West Bank what the US is doing in Afghanistan, there were no suicide bombings. Of course there were the usual Arab claims of "massacres", but these were never proven. Israel was not prepared to pander to these claims, and the 500 victims in the alleged "massacres" never materialised. The only proven way to prevent the bombings is to separate the Israelis and the Arabs. If this produces hardships, it is less painful than having people blown up, and then having the bomber's family praising their actions to the world. Perhaps the oil-rich Arab states can provide assistance and employment.
Glen, USA

There will never be peace until the two sides are separated completely

Catherine, USA

Thank you Glen, I heartily agree with you. In my opinion, the Middle East conflict didn't start overnight or even 50 years ago. It has been going on since the beginning of time. The Palestinians had their chance for their own state over and over again. Barak could not have been a more "peace-loving" leader. It is apparent now that there will never be peace in the Middle East until the two sides are separated completely into autonomous states.
Catherine, USA

I have a simple solution to end these suicide bombing attacks. Just try to realise what on the earth can make someone give up his or her life? Soldiers do that - they fight to kill their enemies and don't care for their own lives. The only cause for doing so is to save their people, family and land from the enemies. Israel never tried to realise or accept the existence of Palestinians. I believe as soon as Israel and America realises this, the suicide bombings will stop right away. You cannot warn someone with anything when he or she is already prepared to die for their people.
Asfeen Ali, Agra, India

Why would anyone think that the declaration of a Palestinian state would somehow take away Hamas's urge to destroy all of Israel? Statehood would just give them a better launch pad for attacks.
Rob Walker, Canada

We need to change people's attitudes that are ingrained in the minds of citizens on both sides. If that could only be achieved, what a glorious wave of democratic reform and peace could sweep throughout the Middle East.
Herb Simpson, USA

Disputed areas should be isolated and managed by the UN

Peter, Canada

Israel should request UN intervention (not very likely of course given the UN's position on Israel) to create a Palestinian state, and organise elections for a new Palestinian government. Disputed areas should be isolated and managed by the UN as an interim measure. Once a democratically elected Palestinian government is formed, discussions could commence about how to divide up the disputed areas. This is unlikely to occur because the Israelis do not want to give up any of the areas of religious significance to them, and the Palestinians will never be happy unless they do.
Peter, Canada

I don't claim to have any new insight on the situation at hand. The solution to the problem has been around for over 30 years. The solution has been endorsed by the US, EU, Arab states - everyone. Except, of course, Israel. Israel continues to defy the international consensus thereby prolonging a conflict which may have been resolved decades ago. The solution lies in UN Resolution 242 which recalls "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory" through war and calls on Israel to withdraw from the territories captured in the June 1967 War. Once Israel complies, attacks against Israel will cease. True, some extremists will continue to wage war against the Jewish state. However, that does not justify holding an entire nation accountable for the actions of a few.
Mohammed, Montreal, Canada

I've seen a number of posters stating that Israel needs to give back the occupied land. Do they really believe that this will alleviate the suicide bombings? I would not refute that it is the right thing to do over the long term, but this will not relieve the situation. Rest assured in the coming years the candy-coated version of Islam the media has been feeding us will dissolve when the suicide bombings and attacks continue.
Vic, USA

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