RBIS March 10, 2000: The Root & Branch Association's Islam-Israel Fellowship's Muslim Co-Chairman, Sheikh Professor Abdul Hadi Palazzi, addresses International Conference in Israel on "Countering Suicide Terrorism"

The Root and Branch Association's Islam-Israel Fellowship's Muslim Co-chairman, Shaykh Prof. Abdul Hadi Palazzi, Assresses International Conference in Israel on "Countering Suicide Terrorism"

JERUSALEM, Yom Shishi (Sixth Day - "Friday"), 3 Adar II, 5760 (Christian Date: March 10, 2000) (Muslim Date: 3 Thul-Hujja, 1420), Root & Branch:

Shaykh Prof. Abdul Hadi Palazzi, Muslim Co-Chairman of the Islam-Israel Fellowship of the Root & Branch Association, recently visited Israel to address an international conference on "Countering Suicide Terrorism".

Dr. Asher Eder, Jewish Co-Chairman of the Islam-Israel Fellowship, participated in the conference together with Shaykh Prof. Palazzi.

The conference, which took place from February 20-23, was organized by the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism of the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya.

The complete conference schedule is given below.

COUNTERING SUICIDE TERRORISM -- AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

INTERNATIONAL POLICY INSTITUTE FOR COUNTER-TERRORISM
INTERDISCIPLINARY CENTER, HERZLYIA

Boaz Ganor
Executive Director

Reuven Paz
Academic Director

P.O.B. 167
46150 Herzliya, Israel
Tel: 972-9-952-7277
Fax: 972-9-951-3073
E-Mail: mail@ict.org.il
Web: http://www.ict.org.il

SUNDAY - WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20-23, 2000

CONFERENCE THEME:

"Over the past two decades a number of nations have been forced to contend with the phenomenon of suicide terrorism. Such diverse countries as Turkey, Sri Lanka, Israel and the United States have all been targeted by terrorists who effectively used suicide terrorism against densely populated civilian and military targets.

Suicide terrorism constitutes an additional stage in the escalation of terrorist activity. In his ability to implement the attack at precisely the time and place where it will cause the maximum number of casualties and greatest damage, the suicide bomber is virtually guaranteed success. Even the least deadly of such attacks succeed in striking a devastating blow to public morale.

Suicide terrorism is all the more threatening because of the difficulties in confronting it, the large number of casualties, and the religious or ideological zeal it inspires. It is a phenomenon that often, though not always, goes hand in hand with religious extremism—distorting religion in the service of political aims.

The "Countering Suicide Terrorism" conference will bring together academic experts and counter-terrorism professionals from all over the world in a multi-disciplinary conference to compare ways and means of countering the threat of suicide terrorism. Lecturers will include experts from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Turkey, Sri Lanka, the UK and the USA.

The conference will include a closed seminar for security professionals from Israel and abroad to compare notes and discuss possible solutions."

CONFERENCE PROGRAM:

OPENING EVENING -- SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2000

(Invitation Only)

19:30-20:15 -- RECEPTION

20:15-21:00 -- GREETINGS:

Shabtai Shavit
Chairman, ICT Board of Directors
Israel

Prof. Uriel Reichman
President, IDC
Israel

Yosef Maiman
Chairman, ICT Board of Trustees
Israel

Fulvio Martini
Admiral, ret.
Former Head of SISMI, Italian Intelligence Service
Italy

Alber Rass
Former Head, Belgian Security Service
Belgium

21:00-21:30 -- OPENING ADDRESS:

Amnon Lipkin-Shahak
Minister of Tourism
Former Chief of Staff, IDF
Israel

*******DAY ONE - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2000*******

9:00-9:30 -- REGISTRATION

***9:30-12:30 -- MORNING SESSION: INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM***

Session Chairman:

Prof. Ariel Merari
Senior Fellow
BCSIA, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University;
Dept. of Psychology, Tel-Aviv University
Israel

***

"Do Nations Commit Suicide? A Middle Eastern Perspective"

Dr. Uzi Arad
Director, Institute of Policy and Strategy
Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya
Israel

***

"The Development of International Terrorism"

Prof. Martha Crenshaw
Wesleyan University
U.S.A.

***

"Contemporary Trends in International Terrorism"

Dr. Ely Karmon
ICT Senior Research Scholar
Israel

***

"International Terrorism and International Cooperation"

Frank Anderson
Former Head, Near East Division, Central Intelligence Agency
U.S.A.

***

"Dilemmas in Countering Terrorism"

Prof. Paul Wilkinson
Director, Center for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence
Professor of International Relations
St. Andrews University
Scotland

DISCUSSION

***14:00-16:30 -- AFTERNOON SESSION: FUNDAMENTALIST TERRORISM***

Session Chairman:

Ambassador Michael Sheehan
Co-ordinator for Counter Terrorism
U.S. Department of State
U.S.A.

***

"Orthodox Islamic Perceptions of Jihad and Martyrdom"

Shaykh Prof. Abdul Hadi Palazzi
Director, Cultural Institute, Italian Islamic Community;
Secretary General, Italian Muslim Association;
Muslim Co-Chairman, Islam-Israel Fellowship, Root & Branch Association
Rome, Italy

***

"Characteristics of Suicide Terrorism Worldwide"

Yoram Schweitzer
Head of ICT Education Project
Israel

***

"Hamas and the Rationalization of Suicide Terrorism"

Reuven Paz
ICT Academic Director
Israel

DISCUSSION

*******DAY TWO - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2000*******

9:00-9:30 -- REGISTRATION

***9:30-12:30 -- MORNING SESSION: SUICIDE TERRORISM WORLDWIDE***

Chairman:

Prof. Ehud Sprinzak
Hebrew University of Jerusalem;
ICT Board of Directors
Israel

***

"Suicide Terrorism in Sri Lanka"

Dr. Rohan Gunaratna
Research Associate
Center for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence
University of St. Andrews
Scotland

***

"Suicide Terrorism in Turkey"

Prof. Dogu Ergil
Chairman
Department of Political Behavior
Ankara University
Turkey

***

"Suicide Terrorism in Lebanon"

Dr. Shaul Shay
ICT Research Fellow
Israel

***

"Suicide Terrorism in Israel"

Boaz Ganor
ICT Executive Director
Israel

DISCUSSION

***14:30-16:30 -- AFTERNOON SESSION: PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF SUICIDE TERRORISM***

Chairman:

Prof. Barry Rubin
Senior Research Scholar
BESA Center for Strategic Studies
Bar Ilan University
Israel

***

"Profile of a Suicide Bomber"

Prof. Ariel Merari
Senior Fellow
BCSIA, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University;
Dept. of Psychology, Tel-Aviv University
Israel

***

"The Personality of the Palestinian Suicide Bomber"

Nachman Tal
Jaffe Center for Strategic Studies
Israel

***

"The Views of Palestinian Society on Suicide Terrorism"

Dr. Khalil Shiqaqi
Center for Palestine Research and Studies in Nablus
Palestinian Authority

DISCUSSION

CLOSING REMARKS

*******DAY THREE - WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2000 -- CLOSED SEMINAR*******

CLOSED SEMINAR THEME:

"The Closed Seminar will focus primarily on the methods and means of countering suicide terrorism. The purpose of the Closed Seminar is to give experts from countries affected by suicide terrorism an opportunity to share thier views and experienced in countering this phenomenon. The Seminar wil be closed to both the public and the media to allow an open discussion. Participants are also invited to attend the academic conference."

09:00-09:30 -- REGISTRATION FOR CLOSED SEMINAR

***09:30-10:30 -- OPENING REMARKS***

Greetings:

Shabtai Shavit
Chairman
Board of Directors, ICT
Former head of the Mossad
Israel

Boaz Ganor
Executive Director, ICT
Israel

Opening Words:

General Meir Dagan
Former Chief of Staff
Israel Government Counter-Terrorism Bureau
Israel

***10:30-12:30 -- MORNING SESSION***

12:30-14:00 -- LUNCH BREAK

***14:00-16:30 -- AFTERNOON SESSION***

Comments:

"Countering Suicide Attacks in Israel"

Commander Menahem Bozna
Head of Bomb Squad
Israel Police
Israel

***

"Disrupting Suicide Terrorism: the Successes and Failures of Sri Lankan Security Apparatus"

Rohan Gunaratna
Center for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence
University of St. Andrews
Scotland

***

"Technical Aspects of Suicide Attacks"

Lt. Col. M.I. Dolamore, MBE RLC
United Kingdom

***

"Counter-Terrorist Ramifications of the Profile of the Suicide Bomber"

Ariel Merari
Senior Fellow
BCSIA, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University;
Dept. of Psychology, Tel-Aviv University
Israel

***

"Dilemmas and Difficulties in Contending with the Suicide Attacker"

Eric Herren
Switzerland

***

"Recommendations for Countering Islamic Suicide Attacks"

***

"Security Dilemmas in Countering Suicide Terrorism"

Dror Itzchaki
Former Head of Security Division
Israel General Security Service
Israel

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE CONFERENCE, PLEASE CONTACT:

The International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism
Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya
P.O.B. 167
46150 Herzliya
Israel

Tel: 972-9-952-7277
Fax: 972-9-951-3073
E-Mail: mail@ict.org.il
Web: http://www.ict.org.il