The January 2010 issue of IDI’s Terrorism and Democracy Newsletter includes four articles. The first discusses a recent decision by the Israeli High Court of Justice (HCJ) ordering the State to reopen Route 443, which runs across the West Bank, to Palestinian traffic. The HCJ found the military commander’s prohibition against the movement of all Palestinians on this road to be ultra vires and disproportional. The second article introduces a recent report by the Israeli Security Agency regarding terrorist activity during 2009. The report chronicles a dramatic decrease in terrorist attacks against Israelis during 2009. In the third article, we summarize a decision by the Jerusalem District Court, which approved the serving of a civil claim to representatives of terrorist organizations detained in Israel. The fourth and final article addresses a decision by the Jerusalem District Court, which reaffirmed that the State of Israel is responsible for maintaining law and order in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in order to prevent vigilante responses. Its failure to maintain law and order in a particular incident which occurred in Gaza gave rise to state liability for the harm caused to a Palestinian passerby.
IDI’s monthly Terrorism and Democracy Newsletter aims to shed light on some relatively unknown measures and policies adopted by Israel or related to Israel, and to foster discussion on the balance between security interests, on one hand, and democratic principles and human rights, on the other hand. It surveys recent developments in Israeli law and practices that are intended to reduce or repress terrorist threats. IDI believes that a greater knowledge of Israel's experience in this area may be of value to other societies; we also believe that engaging in international and comparative discourse about Israel's experience is valuable to Israeli society.
Terrorism and Democracy Newsletter: Issue No. 13, January 2010