Terrorism never goes on vacance

Terror struck at the height of the French vacance (vacation), during Bastille Day, along the shores of the majestic Cote d'Azure, in that special time of the year when the French people's joie de vivre is on full display. France had just breathed a sigh of relief, having successfully hosted a terrorism-free Euro 2016 soccer championship.

The attack on Thursday was in Nice. More that 80 people, who had arrived at the beautiful promenade were killed after a truck deliberately plowed into the crowd, which included children and babies. They were killed while celebrating the French motto liberte, egalite, fraternite.

France doesn't deserve this horror. No country should have to endure this. No citizen, in Europe, Australia, Africa or in the Muslim world should be a victim of terrorism. But the reality is that the homefront is the real battlefront.

Not just in Israel -- everywhere in the world. Even in the West, which has turned a blind eye for too long.

The writing was on the wall. Not only did agencies issue threat warnings, there were also previous incidents that should have set off alarm bells, including in France.

The shock waves are reverberating all over the world. "When will we learn? It is only getting worse," presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump tweeted Thursday. Meanwhile, his campaign announced that he would postpone his much anticipated announcement on his running mate (it was originally scheduled for Friday). The Bastille Day celebrations in Washington and New York City have been postponed in light of the attack as well.

No one feels like celebrating when peoples' remains are being scratched off the pavement at Cote d'Azure.

France has been in denial about the current state of the French republic. In December 2014 there was a vehicular attack in Nantes at the city's Christmas market. The French media reported that this was the work of a deranged individual who cried "Allahu akbar."

But people who carry out such attacks are not just deranged individuals. Nor are they oppressed or miserable. They are despicable murderers who should die. While Israel debates various moral issues and the merits of the so-called "NGO bill," there are murderers roaming the earth who have total disdain for democracy. Murderers who only have one set of goals in mind: the unraveling of the world order, the destruction of civilized society and killing in the name of Allah. This is a twisted interpretation of their religion.

France has reverted back to the days of anxiety that defined the French Revolution, but now the war is waged against a sick ideology. Who would have thought that in 2016, the citizens of the West would have to wage a war to defend their freedom, a war against death and for life.

France is once again mourning. The intelligence warnings, as we have noted, were there. Security forces were particularly worried about the European soccer championship and the July 14 festivities, but the fact of the matter is that any event is in the crosshairs of twisted terrorists. They can strike every day, everywhere.

Who would have thought that cab drivers on the French Riviera would use their cars to drive people away from an attack site. Vacationers became panicked victims. This resort city has effectively been placed on a curfew. Who would have thought? Actually, we Israelis have.

France must wake up. The White House must wake up. Those who refuse to take on the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq will ultimately see terrorist attacks take place at home. Some say France has seen worse days. Some say this cannot possibly compare to the dark period of World War II because France is not under occupation and tanks are not heading toward Paris. But those people are mistaken. France is in the midst of war -- another kind of war, but a world war nonetheless. It can definitely be called World War III, because in some respects, the challenges France faces are just as great as the challenges back then. By the way, President Barack Obama has so far refused to call this terrorist attack "Islamic terrorism," in keeping with his reaction to past terrorist attacks.

News outlet ITV said Thursday that vehicular attacks are among the easiest attacks one can perpetrate.

It noted that Israel has had to deal with such attacks. It is ironic that the terrorists struck France not long after it launched its peace initiative. So while France has been busy promoting its peace plan and imposing the terms of a settlement, while France has been ignoring Hamas and Hezbollah in the Middle East, terrorist struck at home.

This should not have happened. France treats its immigrants and minorities with fairness and dignity. This attack has nothing to do with oppression or people who have been deprived. It has everything to do with just random terrorism. During one of the Palestinian intifadas, the French media wrote terrorists had no other option but wage attacks. But you can't say that.

We are all in this together -- France and Israel. Just two days ago I took part in the Bastille Day celebrations at the French ambassador's residence in Jaffa. At the event, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz talked extensively about the threat of terrorism. He said both countries are fighting the same war and both are on the front lines.

This is not the time for peace initiatives. Now is the time for war against terrorism, and please spare me all the talk about the Palestinian "tragedy." This terrorism is a manifestation of sick ideology propagated by the Islamic State group, by al-Qaida, Boko Haram, Hezbollah, to all four corners of the earth

This is a threat that each and every one of us faces. My wife and my children are vacationing in the south of France right now, with their French grandmother. How I wish they were here instead. Why? Because despite our many problems, at least we are prepared for terrorism here and have the necessary awareness.

I thought about the victims, about those who were crushed by a truck weighing 18 tons or more as it sped at 55 miles an hour onto a crowd of children, women, elderly, babies, Christians, Jews and Muslims. Terrorism is blind. Terrorism is cruel.

We all grieve with France and feel its pain. Today we all share its motto and cry with it. We are all determined to fight this war and win. We need everyone to come together and fight this in unison. Terrorism is terrorism is terrorism. Nothing justifies such attacks. What's even more disconcerting is the safe assumption that more terrorist attacks are to come. The pool of available terrorists in Europe, in France and everywhere else is enormous. Some are "veterans" of the Syrian and Iraqi battlefronts. They are despicable jihadis who just want to destroy the world we live in.

A week ago, when I was in Africa covering Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the continent, local leaders told me that they clamor for more counterterrorism cooperation with Israel. European leaders want to tap into Israel's expertise as well. This is not the time to label products from Judea and Samaria; it is time to label fanatics.

France must wake up and realize that its beautiful landscape is now home to potential killers. We must have zero tolerance to terrorism; zero tolerance to incitement; zero tolerance to the ideology of death. In August 2013, French President Francois Hollande wanted the West to attack the Syrian regime. Obama chose to hold his fire. Obama was wrong, but now Obama is on his way out.

Whomever is elected, they must lead the charge against terrorism -- and win. For the sake of France, for the sake of Europe, for the sake of Africa and for the sake of the Muslim world, and for Israel and for all of us. In the wake of such terrorism, the Israeli and French part of me are crying out: Vive la France! Vive la republique!

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