Envoy deplores terrorism

Press, 14 April 1978, Page 8

Envoy deplores terrorism

Terrorism is a cold-; blooded, worked-out attempt I

to use the murder of civilians to gain political power, according to the Israeli Ambassador to Wellington (Mr Yaakov Morris). It is not an act of desperation resorted to because all civilised ways are blocked, Mr Morris told a meeting of the New Zealand branch of the Northern

Ireland Peace Movement in Christchurch. “It is, in fact, used not as a last resort, but a first resort. However, terrorism has never demonstrated a capacity to gain anything but publicity,” he said. Mr Morris told the meeting that terrorism was not only a problem in the Middle East and Northern Ireland, but in other countries such as Japan and Germany. One of the main targets of this international terrorism was [democracy, he said.

; “The terrorist does not [care about the rules of war, but will hide behind the

i skirts of civilian life." Mr (Morris said.

He cited the example of Palestinian Liberation Organisation attacks against Israeli soldiers. “The P.L.O. will deliberately place their heavy guns in civilian villages so that if civilians are killed during counter-attacks from the Israelis, the Israelis can be accused of causing the deaths of these civilians.”

Mr Morris likened the training methods of members of the P.L.O. to those of the Nazis. “These training methods make them able to walk into a classroom full of children and just fire their guns without compunction.” Mr Morris said that the Northern Ireland Peace Movement had some characteristics of what was being sought in the Middle East. “A compromise is the language of civilisation. The only way to live is with a compromise on two sides, but

not when terrorism on these two sides dominates the political scene." he said.