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Israel leads world in blocking terrorists’ funding pipelines

A newly released book by the founder of a law firm that successfully takes on sponsors of terrorism calls on European countries to follow Israel’s lead – as America did.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, founder of the Tel Aviv-based Shurat HaDin – The Israeli Law Center, has taken on terror sponsors such as Iran and Syria in her quest to deprive them – and their clients – of their financial lifelines. She has managed to freeze over $600 million in these countries’ assets, and has won over $200 million for terror victims of the PLO, Hamas and others.

The ultimate goal is to so starve these organizations of cash so that they simply cannot pay the rank-and-file to work for them or support their “martyrs’” families. The working theory is that when no paychecks are forthcoming, terror tunnels will stop being dug, bombs will cease being built and, eventually, battles such as Operation Protective Edge will become a thing of the past.

This theory was first tested by Meir Dagan, a member of Israel’s National Security Council who eventually rose to become head of the Israeli Mossad. As described in Darshan-Leitner’s just-published Harpoon: Inside the Covert War Against Terrorism’s Money Masters, Dagan began a project called “Harpoon” during the Second Intifada of the early 2000s to go after the terror financiers. This included recruiting Shurat HaDin (among others) to work on issues such as taking state supporters of terrorism to court, shutting down banks that funneled money to operatives, and using existing laws to inhibit their ability to move money internationally.

After 9/11, the American Treasury and Justice Departments, as well as the CIA and FBI, all adopted the strategy of “following the money trail” and have met with success.

Now, after the most recent terror attacks in Europe and the United States, Darshan-Leitner is calling on Europe to follow suit. In an article written for foxnews.com, she wrote, “The European intelligence services will have to cut through red tape and muster their resources to bankrupt ISIS, intercept its ability to move money from country to country, and stop it from funding fighters and operations throughout the continent. Rendering a group like ISIS insolvent will yield victorious battlefield results.”

“A smart and successful war on terror requires James Bonds and General Pattons, as well as one or two Bernie Madoffs – and their services are needed immediately,” she added.

Harpoon, according to the publisher, “offers a gripping story of the Israeli-led effort, now joined by the Americans, to choke off the terrorists’ oxygen supply, money, via unconventional warfare.”