Citation

Hoffman B. Small Wars Insurg. 2011; 22(2): 258-272.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/09592318.2011.573394

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Does terrorism work? Its targets and victims steadfastly maintain that it does not; its practitioners and apologists that it does. Scholars and analysts are divided. But, if terrorism is as ineffective as many claim, why has it persisted for at least the past two millennia and indeed become an increasingly popular means of violent political expression in the twenty-first century? Using the Jewish terrorist campaign against the British in Palestine during the 1940s, this article attempts to shed light on this question. It concludes that notwithstanding the repeated denials of governments, terrorism can, in the right conditions and with the appropriate strategy and tactics, indeed 'work'. At minimum, even if terrorism's power to dramatically change the course of history (along the lines of the 11 September 2001 attacks) has been mercifully infrequent; terrorism's ability to act as a catalyst or fulminate for either wider conflagration or systemic political change appears historically undeniable.

Language: en

Keywords

Begin; empowerment; Haganah; Irgun; Lehi; Lohamei Herut Yisrael; terrorism