Do Targeted Assassinations Work? A Multivariate Analysis of Israel's Controversial Tactic during Al-Aqsa Uprising

Terrorism Insurgencies

On 22 March 2004, Israeli forces assassinated Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder and spiritual leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), as he was returning home from his dawn prayers at a Gaza mosque. On the night following the assassination, the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth conducted a public opinion poll of Israelis to inquire about their views surrounding the assassination. The poll shows that although 60 percent of Israelis support the decision to kill Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, 81 percent expected a surge in retaliatory terrorism following the attack.