Israeli Intelligence Foiled 400 2017 Terror Attacks – Even “Lone-Wolf” Efforts

It has become commonplace to hear counter-terrorism experts lament the virtual impossibility of preventing what have become known as “lone-wolf” attacks: assaults by self-proclaimed terrorists who are motivated to act by inciteful propaganda and promises of eternal ecstasy – often as an example of the global insidiousness of ISIS. So presumably, the intelligence world is buoyed by the year-end report of Israel’s domestic intel agency Shin Bet, which reports among its 2017 successes, the thwarting of some 1,100 would-be terrorist attacks by individuals not dispatched by formal terrorist organizations. On Sunday, agency chief Nadav Argaman told the parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that 400 “major attacks” were prevented among which 13 were suicide bombings and 8 kidnappings. Overall, the number of terrorist events carried out dropped to 58 from 108 last year. Argaman cautioned not to mistake the agency’s success in preventing attacks as an indication that terrorist intent has dwindled. He specifically noted that the Hamas terrorist organization “is trying with all its might to carry out attacks” that are aimed not only at Israeli targets, but as a way to destabilize the Palestinian Authority.