Opinion
What India must learn from Israel’s ‘9/11 moment’
The extent of the Israeli ‘intelligence failure’ this time will embolden Islamist terrorist elements around the world
Reshmi Dasgupta Last Updated:October 10, 2023 10:58:17 IST 
Israeli soldiers patrol the promenade a day after a mass-infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip into Israel, in Ashkelon, southern Israel on 8 October, 2023. Reuters
For many Indians, what unfolded in Israel on Saturday would bring back horrible memories of what happened on 26 November, 2008: the unthinkable. Of all the terrorist attack situations that domestic and international experts—many of them Israeli too—had anticipated and shored up security for in India, a daring frontal assault on Mumbai by a band of heavily armed Pakistani terrorists was thought to be impossible. But that is precisely what happened.
And of all the nightmarish scenarios imagined by Israeli security experts and Mossad, Hamas firing thousands of rockets at towns and bursting through the high security border fences on the Gaza Strip in cars, motorcycles and even paragliders to kill Jewish settlers, troops and even hundreds of young people attending a desert rave party without any prior intelligence alert at all, would not have been one of them. But that is precisely what happened.
That is probably why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was so prompt and unequivocal in India’s support for Israel on this matter. The lesson for India is very clear and ominous: there can be no let-up in vigilance and intelligence when it comes to the Islamist threat here too, as the latter’s agenda remains clear and unwavering: destruction of its enemies. And nothing—absolutely nothing—is off the table or impossible for them in pursuit of that agenda.
Related Articles
The mirage of stability: How Hamas attack has changed Middle East geopolitics
How Hamas pulled off the impossible
That the latest Hamas attack happened exactly 50 years after the Yom Kippur War, and once again on a holy day for Jews, is surprising. This is just the sort of “anniversary” that terror groups are inclined to commemorate with provocative and violent acts. For decades now, India routinely steps up security at sensitive spots before certain key dates every year, including 26 January, 15 August and 6 December. How did Israel take its eye off the ball?
This is not the first time Hamas has attacked Israel but the difference on Saturday was the sheer scale and audacity. Even they must have been surprised by their own success. No wonder commentators are likening it to Pearl Harbour and the 9/11 attacks. Hamas cannot “defeat” Israel with a few thousand rockets, SUVs and motorcycles, so why did it poke the beast in its lair? Why has it taken 100 Israelis hostage, knowing what the reaction would be?
Israel is known for not negotiating for hostages anyway, as the outcome is never good. Remember what happened when India succumbed to all sorts of pressure and released those Pakistani Islamic terrorists Masood Azhar, Omar Sheikh and Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar in 1999. India’s stance on terror attacks has changed significantly since then, with the term “surgical strike” having entered the official lexicon now. But Israel practically invented that term.
It is hard to believe that economically better-off Hamas terror operatives are swayed by the same “rewards” that motivated poverty-stricken Ajmal Kasab and other Pakistani Islamist. Hamas is part of a larger game, one in which the prospect of Saudi Arabia drawing closer to Israel and the recently announced India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) is abhorrent to certain forces, as it is strategically and financially unfavourable to them.
The timing certainly points to IMEEC being a factor in this eruption in the Middle East as it was announced in New Delhi just this September. Therefore, India has skin in the game now, so to speak. Moreover, Hamas is umbilically linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, which has spread its tentacles in India too now, though its traditional perch in Egypt remains precarious after the overthrow of its leader Mohammed Morsi as that country’s president in 2013.
The consequences of even a moment of distraction or any sort of complacency on surveillance as deterrence was brutally demonstrated on Saturday. That lesson will not be lost on India, hopefully. If Hamas could smuggle in or assemble thousands of rockets and accumulate huge caches of arms and ammunition without the knowledge of the formidable Israeli and US intelligence network, imagine the level of vigilance India must constantly exercise.
Understanding the calculated recklessness of the Hamas action is important for India. The then US president Donald Trump’s under-appreciated Abraham Accords raised the possibility that the Palestine issue may be subsumed by peace between Israel and key Arab nations. The west also took its eyes off the Middle East to lavish attention on Ukraine, concentrating intelligence and military assets there. And a seething Hamas smelt an opportunity to strike.
Making sure that there was enough brutality in the attack to ensure an equally (if not more) brutal response from Israel had to be part of the strategy. In the ensuing competitive barrage of “atrocity” visuals, the galvanising of angry Palestinians to rise elsewhere was to be the expected result, as also the support and involvement of other Islamic forces in neighbouring countries of that region. It has not happened so far, but their non-interference is not guaranteed.
The cynicism of the Hamas action is glaringly apparent. Electricity, fuel, food and water supplies to the Gaza Strip have been cut off. Although solar panels are visible, 80 per cent of the area is powerless. This will soon cripple hospitals and other essential services. Civilian Palestinians will suffer because of the Hamas terrorists agenda, just as civilian Israelis were its first targets. The willingness of Hamas to endanger even its own civilians for a “bigger” goal is clear.
Hamas is by no means an exception, in this respect. Precipitating a situation wherein ferocious state retaliation is the only option will be on the minds of many terrorist organisations. In the era of social media, the impact of attacks, retaliations and atrocities increases manifold, potentially drawing in people and nations that would otherwise remain neutral. The calibrated way Hamas has released videos and visuals of its attack emphasises this.
The extent of the Israeli “intelligence failure” this time will embolden Islamist terrorist elements around the world. That some such entity, domestic, foreign or both, may try to scuttle India’s ascent—and diplomatic outreach to important Islamic nations—by triggering a horrific incident, particularly during the coming festival, wedding and election season, is highly probable. India must keep the lessons of 9/11 and 26/11 in mind. Nothing is impossible.
The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.
Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
