We, too, must take forthright, decisive action against terrorism, which has replaced outright war as the scourge of modern society. Terrorism attempts to rob us of our freedom of movement, making us afraid to walk our streets, visit neighboring cities, travel our highways, shop in our malls. Terrorism attacks our sense of normalcy, impairing our ability to go through the motions of everyday living, from shopping to schools to entertainment. The terrorists, as things stand now, are winning. Tourism has been reduced to a trickle.
Hotels stand empty.
El Al is canceling routes left and right. Visiting the Kotel last week, I found it more sparsely attended than I had ever seen it before. Terrorism is an extreme phenomenon that, unchecked, will only get worse. The terrorist will move on from the shopping center to the hospital waiting room, from school bus to school playground. No target, by terrorist definition, is too extreme.