Boston, Bombs And Lessons From Israel

Apr 21, 2013
Originally published on April 28, 2013 7:50 am


Our two daughters were too young to grasp the chaos. But several years later, safely ensconced in Washington, they asked about 9/11. When we explained, Amelia, then age 6, said, "Why did you bring us to a dangerous place like Washington? Why couldn't we stay in a safe place like Jerusalem?"



Car accidents and shootings cause tens of thousands of deaths every year in America. As terrible as the Boston blasts were, an even deadlier incident took place at a fertilizer plant in Texas. Yet it's the terror generated in Boston that will linger in the minds of most.

Inherent Tension


"We've made considerable strides in our counterterrorism capabilities over the past decade and we're seeing that play out in Boston — from the folks on the streets, to the medical personnel in the hospitals to the coordination between local, state and federal officials," he says. "The overall response has been quite remarkable."

So what will the atmosphere be at next year's Boston Marathon, an event symbolizing resilience in a city synonymous with our founding freedoms?

The Boston Globe wrote that the bombing "will forever mar what is annually the city's most uplifting day: Marathon Monday."


"So many communities aren't communities any longer; they are fragmented by social or political or economic differences. Sports communities remain," Hamilton wrote. "Those experiences are what will be lost if spectators decide to avoid sporting events, and that's a shame. We have very few communities to spare these days."

Israel's Experience


But after decades of terror, Israelis have figured out how to live with this contradiction: Something terrible could happen at any moment and there's no reason to let fear dictate how you live.



For Israelis, combating terror is not just a security question. It's a social, cultural and psychological issue and the whole country is required to play its role. It's often measured in small deeds, like going back to a favorite cafe after an attack.

In the deadliest year for Israelis, 2002, more than 50 suicide bombings convulsed a country that has just a few more residents than Massachusetts. It's no stretch to say that Israel endured the equivalent of a Boston Marathon bombing every week for a year.


The U.S. Response



"We can't ever get 100 percent security, and even if we could we wouldn't want to pay the cost," says Nelson, the counterterrorism analyst at CSIS. "We will always be vulnerable to some level of attack. What we can control is how we respond. I think twice as many people should run in the Boston Marathon next year. I think that would be a good response."


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