Individual Terrorism: The Media Perspective

Israeli police investigate the scene of a shooting attack on an Israeli car on a road near Kokhav Hashahar in the West Bank, July 31, 2015. Photo: Thomas Coex / AFP

Israeli coverage of individual terrorist attacks has generally followed a set pattern, notable primarily for the lesser prominence assigned to most attacks by the media. Attempted attacks, rock and Molotov cocktail throwing, and tire burnings that do not result in casualties are rarely reported. Moreover, even when the topic does make it to the media, it remains on the sidelines; coverage is brief, not prominently placed, and is quick to leave the news cycle. In order to deal with the phenomenon of individual terrorism, a balance must be found between the intensive media response to selected isolated events – which may create pressure on decision makers to take severe action and thereby contribute to a cycle of escalation – and acclimation to a routine of daily attacks in the security arena. Highlighting individual terrorism without surveying possible solutions for the phenomenon is problematic in that it may leave Israeli citizens with a sense of personal insecurity. On the other hand, media reticence may help resist a tendency to inflate the phenomenon, which could spur the political leadership to order more offensive measures in an effort to foil attacks or in response to their occurrence.

Between Russian and U.S. Saber Rattling, Georgia Seeks a Middle Path

In a United Nations summit defined by the competing world visions of the United States and Russia, the tiny South Caucasus nation of Georgia is doing all it can to stay out of the fray and avoid angering either Washington or Moscow.

Doing so, according to Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, would only set back Tbilisi’s efforts to regain control of its lost territories and improve its economic situation.

Ρωσικά «φτερά» στη Συρία: Τι αεροπορική δύναμη διαθέτει η Ρωσία στη χώρα και τι μπορεί να κάνει

Καθώς αεροσκάφη της ρωσικής πολεμικής αεροπορίας έχουν αναλάβει δράση στη Συρία στηρίζοντας το καθεστώς Άσαντ, ενώ ιρανικές δυνάμεις πλαισιώνουν τον συριακό στρατό, εν όψει ευρείας κλίμακας χερσαίας επιχείρησης, ο εμφύλιος πόλεμος στη Συρία φαίνεται να εισέρχεται σε μια νέα καμπή, με τον κόσμο να παρακολουθεί με ανησυχία, καθώς στην πολυετή σύγκρουση φαίνονται να συμμετέχουν πλέον πολλές δυνάμεις – και δεν φαίνεται να είναι απόλυτα ξεκάθαρο το ποιος χτυπάει ποιον και ποιον όχι, κάτι που αποτελεί εκ των πραγμάτων «συνταγή» η οποία μπορεί να έχει καταστροφικά αποτελέσματα.