Terrorism or Desperation? Copenhagen Weighs Its Options
Al-Monitor reports that two Swedish teenagers, aged 18 and 21, are on trial in Denmark, charged with terrorism, aggravated assault, and attempted murder for throwing two hand grenades at the Israeli embassy. One defendant pleads guilty to the lesser charge of aggravated assault, not terrorism. A serious incident, to be sure, and no one condones violence, especially against civilians or diplomatic
missions. But it does raise a curious question about the definition of 'terrorism' versus 'defense.' When individual teenagers use grenades, it's terrorism. When a state drops 2,000-lb bombs on refugee camps, hospitals, and schools—killing tens of thousands, including over 15,000 children in Gaza alone since October 2023—that's consistently framed by mainstream media and political leaders as
'legitimate security operations.' One might wonder if the definition of criminal acts is entirely dependent on who is doing the bombing and who is receiving the support checks from Washington. These teenagers are facing years in prison; the architects of far greater destruction receive standing ovations in Congress.