Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorists (Paperback)

by Benjamin Netanyahu (Author, Editor) "Organized crime has plagued all the democracies..." (more)
Key Phrases: international terror, domestic terror, terrorist states, United States, Middle East, Soviet Union (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
" . . . makes a strong case that the west has not prepared itself properly for increased domestic and international terrorism." -- Berl Faulbaum, The Detroit News

"... well worth the reading ... likely to spark renewed debate about the central dilemma Netanyahu addresses . . ." -- Victor T. Levine, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"An excellent primer on the groups, motives and methods of the current terrorist threat." -- Bill Gertz, The Washington Times

"An excellent primer on the groups, motives, and methods of the current terrorist threat."—Bill Gertz, The Washington Times

"Netanyhu has produced a small volume updating the story of international terrorism and his advice on how t odefeat it. His message . . . is a correct one."—Peter W. Rodman, The Washington Post Book World

"This short book is well worth reading, and is likely to spark renewed debate about the central dilemma Netanyahu addresses . . . He offers vigorous, proactive, pre-emptive measures."—Victor T. Levine, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Netanyahu traces the history of terrorism with scholarship and makes a strong case that the West has not prepared itself properly for increased domestic and international terrorism."—Berl Faulbaum, The Detroit News

"Vigorous . . . Mr. Netanyahu's arguement, which is soberly and clearly made, cannot be taken lightly."—Richard Berstein, The New York Times

"Strong but not belligerent, adamant but measured . . . It's hard to put uo nuch of an argument against Netanyahu's prophetic book."—David Finkle, The Trenton Times
-- Review

"Netanyahu has produced a small volume updating the story of international terrorism and his advice on how to defeat it." -- Peter W. Rodman, The Washington Post Book World

"Strong but not belligerent, adamant but measured . . . It's hard to put up much of an argument against Netanyahu's prophetic book." -- David Finkle, The (Trenton) Times

"Vigorous . . . Mr.Netanyahu's argument, which is soberly and clearly made, cannot be taken lightly." -- Richard Bernstein, The New York Times

Review

"An excellent primer on the groups, motives, and methods of the current terrorist threat."—Bill Gertz, The Washington Times

"Netanyhu has produced a small volume updating the story of international terrorism and his advice on how t odefeat it. His message . . . is a correct one."—Peter W. Rodman, The Washington Post Book World

"This short book is well worth reading, and is likely to spark renewed debate about the central dilemma Netanyahu addresses . . . He offers vigorous, proactive, pre-emptive measures."—Victor T. Levine, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Netanyahu traces the history of terrorism with scholarship and makes a strong case that the West has not prepared itself properly for increased domestic and international terrorism."—Berl Faulbaum, The Detroit News

"Vigorous . . . Mr. Netanyahu's arguement, which is soberly and clearly made, cannot be taken lightly."—Richard Berstein, The New York Times

"Strong but not belligerent, adamant but measured . . . It's hard to put uo nuch of an argument against Netanyahu's prophetic book."—David Finkle, The Trenton Times

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2nd edition (2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374524971
• ISBN-13: 978-0374524975
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #335,278 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

122 of 128 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard solutions for a deadly problem, January 15, 2001

By	L. Clark (Kenosha, WI USA) - See all my reviews

As a former Naval Counter-terrorism analyst, I look for books that provide factual material without a sugarcoating of political ideology. Prime Minister Netanyahu has well accomplished this feat within this book. By using both personal experience and historical perspective, PM Netanyahu provides a step by step program for the isolation and eventual defeat of terrorist organizations. He provides heretofore unknown facts that gives an insight into the mindset of the terrorists and those that fight them. This book is a 'must read' for any student of International Politics, Terrorism, those wishing to learn the truth of international terrorism

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Netanyahu dismantles terrorism root cause: its philosophy, March 5, 2002

By	Johnny Lee - See all my reviews

This work is an exceptionally honest perspective on the nature of and driving forces behind the use of terrorism as a political weapon. Netanyahu, like few others, refuses to mince words and relinquish the moral ground when chronicling the "deliberate and systematic assault on civilians to inspire political ends."

Voltaire wrote that there are some that only employ words for the purpose of disguising their thoughts. Unlike those who brandish obfuscation and appeasement as political weaponry (q.v., Bill Clinton and Colin Powell), Netanyahu convincingly dismantles the "cause" of terrorism at its most vulnerable place: its philosophy. He brings a clarity of vision-coupled with a compelling and well researched historical record-to bear on what, in the light of day, cannot be called a just cause.

Accordingly, while the bulk of his work appropriately focuses on the Middle East (the birthplace of modern terrorism), he elucidates many of the causes behind terrorism on both a domestic and an international scale-from the Oklahoma and New York Trade Tower bombings (the book was written in 1995) to the rise of the PLO and other European terrorist organizations as puppets for a corrupt Soviet regime. Netanyahu's principled argument and clear writing style are only made more stark by the compelling historical record that leads him to his final conclusion.

The history of terrorism is not light reading, but it is crucial to known thine enemy. Netanyahu details the mentality behind this enemy by showing that "[i]t is not only that the ends of the terrorists do not succeed in justifying the means they choose; their choice of means indicates what their true ends are."

The overall purpose of the book is to demonstrate that a philosophical response (Netanyahu calls it a moral response) is the only means of defeating terrorism. To be more precise, terrorists can be defeated, but only if decent people uproot it properly, once and for all, without moral compunctions of any kind.

The book is replete with historical fact not reported in any of today's ludicrously biased media, and it concludes with specific remedies not dreamed of by liberal appeasers who wish to grant murderers an equal voice at the international bargaining table. (Many of these rememdies finally are being enacted after September 11.) This is a remarkably well written book; I just pray that our leaders digest its message in time.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential History and a Clear Blueprint for Action, October 17, 2002

By	First Things First "captainreflection" (Burbank, CA United States) - See all my reviews

In "Fighting Terrorism" Benjamin Netanyahu provides us with a clear and concise history of terrorism, and a universal action plan for eradicating it. In his typical engaging and creative use of the English language, the former Prime Minister of Israel sounds a clarion call to the free societies of the world; while terrorism has advanced far beyond anyone's worst imaginings, it is still very much containable, provided that the free world wakes up, remembers history, and musters its resources and armaments to eradicate the growing scourge. The section on the specter of nuclear terrorism is chilling, particularly with the recent announcement by North Korea of its own nuclear capabilities. Many areas mentioned in the book are worthy of further study: After flipping the last page, I immediately began reading "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes to fill in my understanding of how the most brilliant minds in the world, many of them peace-loving, contributed to our most horrific invention, one which looms large in the future of our fight against terrorism. Please read this book and realize that the 12th hour is upon us!