ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that the emergence of Jewish terrorism was highly probable, since it followed regular evolutionary patterns of illegal idealistic movements. In the context of discussing Jewish vigilantism it should be mentioned that the greatest part of the settlers vigilantism was triggered by a previous Arab harrassment like road stonings or individual anti-Jewish assaults. But in most of these cases not a simple complaint was filed. Many anti-Jewish terrorist and guerilla operations took place in the early years and the settlements were consequently defined in the military jargon as “confrontation settlements”. In the “border settlements” according to Military Order 432 and other orders, guards were authorized to excercise force and among other things to open fire under necessary circumstances. Jewish terrorism, in its embrionic form of vigilantism, started to evolve in 1976–1977 when Jews, especially members of Gush Emunim, had started a non selective settlement process under the Likud government.
