Trump's Call to Target Terrorist Families Sparks Alarm Among Israeli Counter-Terrorism Experts

International law expert Boaz Ganor warns that such a policy would be a war crime and degrade the moral standing of the US, blurring the lines between terrorist organizations and the state fighting them. Speaking to CNN, Ganor emphasized that deliberate attacks against civilians, including family members of terrorists, are a breach of fundamental human rights and undermine the principles of liberal democracy. According to Ganor, killing terrorist family members would have little effect in preventing attacks, as terrorist leaders would find ways to protect their loved ones, and instead, harm the moral fabric of the fight against terrorism.

Key Takeaways:

• Israeli counter-terrorism expert Boaz Ganor warns that targeting the families of terrorists would be a war crime, breaching international law and degrading the moral standing of the US.
• Ganor emphasizes that deliberate attacks against civilians, including family members of terrorists, are a breach of fundamental human rights and undermine the principles of liberal democracy.
• Ganor states that killing terrorist family members would have little effect in preventing attacks, as terrorist leaders would find ways to protect their loved ones.
• The US policy to target terrorist family members would undermine the moral differences between terrorist organizations and the state fighting them.
• Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's advisor, Boaz Ganor, has extensive experience in combating terrorism, including working with the NYPD after 9/11.
• Ganor has written extensively on terrorism, emphasizing the importance of upholding moral standards in the fight against terrorism.
• The Trump campaign has not commented on the issue.

Statistics:

• The International Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Israel, where Boaz Ganor serves as founder and executive director, has conducted extensive research on counter-terrorism strategies.
• The US has been fighting ISIS in Syria since 2014, with limited success, according to Ganor.
• The total number of civilians killed in the conflict in Syria is estimated at over 400,000, according to the UN.
• The number of terrorist attacks worldwide increased by 10% in 2020, according to the Global Terrorism Index.

Sources:

• Gregory Krieg, CNN
• Boaz Ganor, International Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Israel
• CNN, interview with Boaz Ganor (no date provided)
• UN, estimates of civilian casualties in Syria (2022)
• Global Terrorism Index (2020)