(Communicated by the MFA Spokesperson)

At a time when Israel is forced to deal with a wave of terror attacks, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is launching today (Monday 9 November 2015) the International Conference on Countering Radicalization and Violent Extremism Leading to Terrorism: The Challenge of Terrorists Acting Alone or in Small Cells. Israel's extensive experience in dealing with terrorism in general and individual terrorists in particular makes Israel a leader in this area.
 
Delegates from 41 countries and 10 regional and international organizations, as well as representatives from civil society organizations, will be attending the conference.  The Conference is being hosted in cooperation with the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and in consultation with the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate.  The hosting of the conference in Israel highlights the country's important role internationally in the field of counter-terrorism.
 
During the conference, high-level officials and experts dealing with this critical issue in their different countries will examine the phenomena of terrorists acting alone or in small cells in a holistic manner.  Each of the panel discussions will focus on a specialized topic, such as detection, prevention and intervention; criminalization and prosecution of terrorists acting alone; countering the use of different Internet platforms by terrorist groups for the purpose of inciting, recruiting and training individuals for terrorism; and the role of penitentiary services in rehabilitating and reintegrating violent extremist offenders. Participants will exchange information, views, lessons learned and good practices based on their national experience.

In recent years, especially in light of the rise of ISIS, states have strengthened their law enforcement measures to prevent the departure and travel of suspected foreign terrorist fighters.

As a result, states might be confronted with a potentially growing number of individuals, who might seek to commit acts of terrorism at home.  The threat posed by self-radicalization, terrorists acting alone or in small cells, newly emerging terrorist groups and the potential of the Internet to be utilized by recruiters to promote violent extremist ideologies and incite the commission of terrorist acts, have all prompted greater international concern.  This conference is considered as a major step towards building better understanding of this phenomenon, its origins and driving factors, and how international cooperation is key in order to counter it successfully.
 
Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely: "Unfortunately, Israel is once again under attack by murderous terrorists motivated by incitement and hatred.   Israel's bitter experience gained in dealing with this type of terrorism has made us a world leader in the field of counter-terrorism, and a magnet for other countries to come and learn from our experience.
 
This seminar is another example of the MFA's interaction with other countries and international bodies, and its ability to explain and demonstrate advanced Israeli technology for dealing with terrorism. We are excited by the number of participants who have come from all over the world to learn about this topic."