2008 Woodie Awards
Terrorists Target Schoolchildren: Nothing New
Hanna L. Golden
Issue date: 4/15/08 Section: Israel
Terrorism, the use of methods of violence to intimidate others, tends to target anyone whose death will cause others to be fearful, striking military and civilian victims alike. As terrorism increases, many people become desensitized to the news of new attacks, and react to such news with nothing more than a passing sigh instead of with fear. However, the targeting of schoolchildren has yet to be considered the stuff of common cruelty, perhaps because striking those who are least able to defend themselves petrifies everyone, even the most desensitized members of our society, and even those whose job it is to defend civilians.
Israel has suffered many terrorist attacks targeting schoolchildren. One of the most deadly occurred on Israel Independence Day in 1974 in Ma'alot. Three members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine held 85 children and teachers hostage. The highschoolers, from Tzfat, were on an excursion in Northern Israel with the youth organization Gadna, and had spent the night at the Ma'alot schoolhouse. The terrorists entered Israel from Lebanon and came armed with assault rifles and hand-grenades. As they overpowered the group, some students and teachers managed to escape through a second-story window. The remainder were gathered into one room and forced to stay there while their captors demanded that the Knesset release a number of Arabs held in Israeli jails.
The Knesset agreed to negotiate, but the terrorists refused to extend their deadline. Hours later, an IDF battalion attempted to free the captives. By the end of the operation, the terrorists killed 22 children before they were eventually killed themselves.
A few years earlier, in 1970, a school bus was attacked near Avivim in Northern Israel. The attackers crossed into Israel from the nearby border of Lebanon, and fired bazooka shells at the school bus as it followed its daily route. The bus crashed, and 12 people-including the bus driver-were killed in the assault, while 25 others were wounded. The terrorists, who belonged to the Syrian-sponsored group Saeka, were never caught.
Israel has suffered many terrorist attacks targeting schoolchildren. One of the most deadly occurred on Israel Independence Day in 1974 in Ma'alot. Three members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine held 85 children and teachers hostage. The highschoolers, from Tzfat, were on an excursion in Northern Israel with the youth organization Gadna, and had spent the night at the Ma'alot schoolhouse. The terrorists entered Israel from Lebanon and came armed with assault rifles and hand-grenades. As they overpowered the group, some students and teachers managed to escape through a second-story window. The remainder were gathered into one room and forced to stay there while their captors demanded that the Knesset release a number of Arabs held in Israeli jails.
The Knesset agreed to negotiate, but the terrorists refused to extend their deadline. Hours later, an IDF battalion attempted to free the captives. By the end of the operation, the terrorists killed 22 children before they were eventually killed themselves.
A few years earlier, in 1970, a school bus was attacked near Avivim in Northern Israel. The attackers crossed into Israel from the nearby border of Lebanon, and fired bazooka shells at the school bus as it followed its daily route. The bus crashed, and 12 people-including the bus driver-were killed in the assault, while 25 others were wounded. The terrorists, who belonged to the Syrian-sponsored group Saeka, were never caught.
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