Domestic terrorism typically involves acts perpetrated by individuals or groups within the borders of their own country, often motivated by grievances against their government or societal institutions, and international terrorism involves acts carried out by individuals or groups operating across national borders, often with transnational objectives or affiliations with foreign entities (Brine & Brine, 2021).
Ahlam Ahmad Al-Tamimi, also known as Ahlam Tamimi, gained international attention for her involvement in a terrorist attack in Israel in 2001. Born in 1980 in Silwad, West Bank, Tamimi was convicted for her role in the Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing in Jerusalem, which resulted in the deaths of 15 civilians, including 7 children, and wounded over 130 others. Despite being sentenced to 16 life terms in prison, she was released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas. Tamimi’s case has sparked debates about terrorism, prisoner exchanges, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ahlam Ahmad Al-Tamimi has shown no remorse for her actions and has continued to advocate for violence against Israelis, garnering both support and condemnation from various groups (Individual Charged in Connection with 2001 Terrorist Attack in Jerusalem That Resulted in Death of Americans. 2017). She is considered a domestic terrorist, and her actions align with broader patterns of terrorist behavior, particularly in terms of ideological motivation, targeting of civilians, and association with extremist organizations. Her characteristics align with those of a domestic terrorist ideological ideation, targeting civilians, membership in a terrorist organization, and lack of remorse.
To assess the actions of Ahlam Ahmad Al-Tamimi, the TRAP-18 indicators may help in identifying key characteristics or risk factors associated with individuals who engage in terrorist activities, including ideological motivation, past involvement in extremist groups, and patterns of behavior indicative of violent intent (Meloy et al., 2019). By identifying specific risk factors and behavioral indicators, professionals can better assess the level of risk posed by individuals like Al-Tamimi and develop appropriate intervention and prevention strategies to mitigate the threat of terrorism (Meloy et al., 2019).
References
Brine, I., & Brine, L. (2021). Homegrown and lone-actor terrorism Download Homegrown and lone-actor terrorism. In M. Roycroft & L. Brine, Modern police leadership (pp. 281–292). Palgrave Macmillan.
Meloy, J. R., Goodwill, A. M., Meloy, M. J., Amat, G., Martinez, M., & Morgan, M. (2019). Some TRAP-18 indicators discriminate between terrorist attackers and other subjects of national security concernLinks to an external site.Links to an external site.. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, 6(2), 93–110. https://doi.org/10.1037/tam0000119
