Study: House Demolitions Deter Terrorism

Israeli proponents of the demolition of the homes of terrorists were provided on Wednesday with new data to back up their contention that such measures are effective in discouraging terrorism, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The study, co-authored by researchers at Northwestern University and the Hebrew University, declared that the policy, renewed only recently by the Israeli government, causes “an immediate, significant decrease in the number of suicide attacks.”

“Counter-Suicide-Terrorism: Evidence from House Demolitions,” to be published in the January issue of the Journal of Politics, said that punitive house demolitions between 2000 and 2005 resulted in “fewer suicide attacks in the month following.”

The findings are likely to stir further controversy, as it would appear to disprove the insistence by critics that the policy has little or no effect.

In November, Israel resumed demolitions of the homes of terrorists when it razed the family home of Abdelrahman al-Shaludi, who drove his car into a Yerushalayim bus stop in October. Several other demolitions followed.

This article appeared in print on page 8 of the December 11th, 2014 edition of Hamodia.