Hamas Victory Sparks Terrorist Activity

Hamas' victory in the PA elections has sparked a sharp increase in the number of security warnings, with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) on Sunday reporting 76 - compared to around 50 two weeks ago.

A security official said the Hamas takeover of the PA has motivated Islamic Jihad to become the vanguard of the Palestinian struggle by escalating its terror activity.

This is crucial: Jihad victories catalyze jihad (and vice-versa). Islam never gave up on conquering the world. The loss of the Ottoman Empire simply caused jihad to be put on hold.

The Islamists' dispute with "mainstream" Islam is primarily pragmatic, not moral. Islamists are trying to convince Muslims that the West is a paper tiger that is strong on paper, but unwilling to use its military might even against the most outrageous of affronts.

Any Islamist victories or concessions in the face of Islamist aggression will encourage a multiplication of assaults. While it would be comforting to believe that a solution is readily available, Westerners will not be willing to respond forcefully before hundreds of thousands or millions are dead in a WMD attack. Countless numbers could be saved with forceful Western responses before it is too late. If so, the majority of Muslims would continue to believe in jihad as a pillar of faith and fantasize about savage world conquest as a distant dream.