In Israel, Staying Alert For Terror Is A Way Of Life
April 17, 2013
Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies Director, Yoram Peri, says similar tactics could be used in the U.S.
By Oren Dorell, USA Today
Acts of terror like Monday's bombings at the Boston Marathon have happened so often in Israel that they have shaped the behavior of ordinary citizens and their leaders in ways that could happen in the United States, an expert on Israeli security said Tuesday.
In Israel, avoiding suspicious packages that could be bombs is taught in grade school, surveillance techniques are aggressive, and watching for the typical profile of a bomber is routine, says Yoram Peri, director of the Institute of Israel Studies at the University of Maryland.
"You grow up internalizing this thought that there might be terrorists and attacks anywhere and everywhere," Peri said of growing up in Israel. "You walk differently, you look to the sides, you look for people who might be terrorists, you look for packages. You're more aware, that's clear."