Sharon Opens 'Gates of Hell'

Ariel Sharon has "opened the gates of hell," declared Hamas in response to the targeted killing on Monday of its founder and spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, as he returned from a mosque in Gaza City. The inexplicable and widely condemned killing is sure to spark severe repercussions, not only for the Israeli people but perhaps for the United States as well.

In its fiery statement, Hamas sets its sights, for the very first time, on the U.S: "The Zionists didn't carry out their operation without getting the consent of the terrorist American administration, and it must take responsibility for this crime ... All the Muslims of the world will be honored to join in on the retaliation for this crime."

The White House's reaction to the assassination has been typically equivocal. On the one hand, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice hit the news circuit claiming that the U.S. neither knew of nor pre-approved the planned hit. But then White House press secretary Scott McClellan refused to issue a condemnation, choosing instead to regurgitate the official White House line: "Israel has a right to defend herself." He added, "I would point out Hamas is a terrorist organization and Sheikh Yassin has engaged in terrorism."

So, does that make killing Yassin a good idea?

That Israel has the right to defend itself is, of course, true. But to claim that the targeted assassination of a quadriplegic returning from prayer constitutes "self-defense" is ludicrous. Yassin clearly has the blood of innocents on his hands and few would deny that he's a criminal. But to confuse what is justifiable with what is effective is, in the most literal sense, dangerous. Or as Israeli columnist, and former member of the Israeli Knesset, Uri Avnery put it: "This is worse than a crime, it is an act of stupidity!"

There are several theories as to why the Israeli government chose to kill Yassin, especially at this time. The only line of explanation that dominates the evening news of course is that Yassin was a terrorist, i.e. a reprehensible murderer who deserved to die. A person is stripped entirely of his humanity at the mere utterance of that word, "terrorist."

But the fact remains -- even if we do accept that reasoning -- Yassin wasn't socked away in a spider hole, the focus of a long-standing manhunt. He lived a public life traveling along a well-known route to and from the mosque. Sharon could have killed him at any time. So why now?

Some say the act was motivated by politics. Sharon was considering the historic step of withdrawing from Gaza, which undoubtedly incensed the Israeli right. The hardliners believe either that all the land between the Red Sea and the Jordan river constitute Eretz Yisrael (the biblical land of Israel which, in their view, still belongs to Israel) or, at the very least, that no land should be conceded until terrorism ceases. In that context, a successful and high profile assassination of a well-known opposition leader would ostensibly mollify these crucial political allies by playing to Israeli nationalism and might.

Others claim the hit was aimed toward, or to be more precise, at the Palestinian general population. Sharon and others in the Knesset may have feared that a withdrawal of this magnitude could be perceived as a sign of weakness. Though the Israeli military remains one of the most powerful in the world, the specter of the holocaust looms large in the nation's consciousness and plays a powerful role in shaping its policy. An assertion of military dominance by striking at the symbolic heart of the Palestinian resistance could quiet fears that Israel was unable to defend itself.

There's also the possibility -- difficult as it may be to imagine -- that Sharon truly believes that assassination is the most effective strategy for dealing with terrorism. Though he has failed miserably to date -- Sharon's years in office have been among the most bloody in Israeli history -- the Israeli prime minister is unwavering in his belief that the ruthless application of force will ultimately secure the Palestinians' submission to Israel's will. The recent string of assassinations of Hamas leaders is then just one part of this broader policy of repression.