October 7^th has been a turning point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict trajectory, with its aftermath mobilising and polarising millions of people all over the world, to support the Palestinian cause, while governments internationally seem to juggle between recognising the right of Israel to defend itself and recognising the right of Palestinians to exist also in safety. But there was another October 7^th in the history of terrorism, that seems to have been forgotten, though it actually: the hijacking of Achille Lauro.

The October 7, 2023 terrorist operation, coordinated by Hamas on southern Israel, was an unprecedented surprise attack, framed as the Israel’s “9/11”.  It was characterised by simultaneous incursions, hostage-taking, assaults on civilian areas, and acts of sexual abuse. Domestic reactions included several expressions of trauma, but also anger, shock, and demands for accountability, particularly over intelligence and security failures that allowed such an operation to go undetected. The demands for the return of the hostages (some of them were also foreign citizens) became a focal point for Israelis who questioned the policy of their government and the decision to launch a war as a response to the attack.

Western governments, including the U.S., EU states, and the UK, expressed their strong solidarity with Israel and condemned Hamas and the horrific violence against civilians, which was portrayed in videos and photos. Palestinian society was recorded to celebrate the attack and the victimisation against civilians, at least at first. The Hamas attack was perceived at the time as a severe blow against the superpower Israel, leaving room for a possible victory, against all odds. Of course, this attitude seems to have changed, after  the magnitude of Israel’s military response and the neutralisation of most Hamas and Hezbollah leading figures connected to the attack. Differing from the policy of their governments, pro-Palestinian citizens and activist groups worldwide saw the attack as a reaction and inevitable result of decades of blockade and occupation. Online public discourse, as well as protests and demonstrations across Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S. have revealed a deeply polarised society, holding a subjective approach regarding who is a terrorist and what terrorism is. There are two opposed narratives that are mainly antagonising: Israel as a victim of terrorism vs. Palestinians as victims of occupation and systemic violence. The media coverage has been equally divided. On one hand there has been coverage focused heavily on the brutality of the attacks, and on the other hand coverage exposing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the victimisation of civilians, which followed Israel’s decision to launch war against Hamas.

On October 7, 1985, the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro, kept the passengers as hostages and killed in cold blood Leon Klinghoffer, a disabled, wheelchair-bound Holocaust survivor and a Jewish American. The execution caused outrage in Italy, Europe generally and the United States. In public discourse, the attack became emblematic of the targeting of civilians in international terrorism. PFL gunmen demanded the release of 50 Palestinian militants imprisoned in Israel, threatening to blow up the ship and kill the American and British passengers. The hijacking was framed in the West as Palestinian terrorism, weakening international sympathy for the Palestinian cause (at that time). The Palestinian leadership sought to distance itself from the violence perpetrated, with Yasser Arafat claiming the PLF acted without PLO authorisation.

Looking at the two October 7 terrorist attacks, there are interesting points regarding the reaction of governments and the public discourse:

1. For the 1985 attack, outrage focused on Klinghoffer’s murder, violating civilian sanctity. At the time, though, the communication scale and ability of the Palestinian side to spread its rhetoric and limited, no online echo chambers. Any narrative presented by the Palestinian terrorists would go through certain conventional channels and reach a small and somewhat marginalized audience, more specifically, members of far-leftist groups or far-leftist terror organisations that supported their Palestinian counterparts. After all, Palestinian groups at the time had a Marxist ideological orientation, and they were far from Islamist doctrines and aspirations. For the 2023 attack, outrage was due to the mass killings and hostage-taking, alongside heated debates over Israel’s longtime systemic injustices against the Palestinians and the civilian death toll because of the military campaign in Gaza. The Internet has played a central role in shaping narratives of sympathy to the Palestinians and condemnation of Israel. There is especially a young audience (even if belonging to progressive and leftist ideologies) that overlooks the crimes committed by Hamas during October 7, its Islamist ideology and its oppressive policies against Palestinians. These are young people who have not lived the Achille Lauro nor the Munich attack, with no memory of how Palestinian organisations exported terror to Europe and became an international security threat, hijacking airplanes and attacking airports. They view Palestinians only as victims of Israeli oppression and the end (their liberation from Israeli oppression), justifying all the means (especially when they have no understanding of how these means can victimise them too).
2. Addressing the Achille Lauro attack took the character of an international law dispute. PLF seized the Italian cruise ship while in Egyptian territorial waters, and the passengers were a mix of nationalities: Italian, other European, Australian and American. Leon Klinghoffer, who was executed, was an American citizen of Jewish heritage. More than one country had an interest in intervening, with Italy insisting on its legal and moral right to play a leading role. The U.S. tried to seize the terrorists, and Italy blocked its military operations, leading to what is known as the Sigonella crisis and showing how strongly Italy viewed its primary jurisdiction in this case. Although among the hostages of the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, there were also foreign citizens, one cannot say that there has been any serious attempt of other countries to intervene in addressing the terror attack or to release the hostages. The initiatives taken by the U.S. and other countries were mostly interested in ending the war in Gaza, with the return of the (remaining) hostages as a condition.
3. In Italian courts, the hijackers (and the planners of the Achille Lauro attack) were put to trial. The response by the criminal justice system was a strict one, passing in some cases long sentences. Additionally, PLF leader Abu Abbas was sentenced in absentia, and one minor member was put to trial by the Juvenile Court. However, the court decision was quite controversial and caused outrage to the family of Leon Klinghoffer. Some hijackers were given lesser sentences because attenuating circumstances, like that ”they have grown up in the tragic conditions that the Palestinian people live through”, and one of the judges was  asking the five defendants if they had lived in refugee camps and if any of their relatives had died in mass killings or battles. Furthermore, the jury accepted some of the Palestinians were ”soldiers fighting for their ideals” rather than terrorists. In this way, Italian Justice repeated and perpetuated a different take on terrorism, recognising ideals, noble causes and grievances behind their acts. This understanding of terrorism is highly problematic, contributing to its acceptance as a method of action, since the end justifies the means. The October 7 attack by Hamas and its aftermath can be discussed legally in the framework of Israel’s right to defence vs. Israeli actions in Gaza reported as not complying with humanitarian law and at times, exceeding bounds, ultimately undermining a future two-state solution. Israel launched a military response against Hamas and carried out targeted killings of Hamas and Hezbollah officials in foreign territory. The International Criminal Court is investigating Crimes Against Humanity perpetrated by both sides of the conflict, with the world focusing on Israel due to its military power and its responsibility as a state.

There are 38 years between the October 7th Achille Lauro attack and the October 7th attack in the Southern part of Israel. While temporarily public opinion may condemn in shock terrorist attacks, it has never overcome the subjective approach towards terrorism, mainly due to sympathy to the sufferings of the Palestinian people. Furthermore, when it comes to reactions against Israel, covert or overt anti-Semitism is a factor to be considered. The selective sensitivity of many country representatives during the recent UN meeting in New York leaving the room when Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium is an example. There has never been an equivalent reaction against e.g. political leaders from Turkey, even though Cyprus remains the only European country divided in two, with half of its land occupied, populated by settlers and violent crimes been committed during the 1974 invasion. The same with the Islamic Republic of Iran, that has systematically been torturing and putting to death citizens who oppose its strict religious policies. The selective sensitivity against Israel is not working towards its accountability for breaches of international law (as it should). It is giving oxygen to Palestinian terrorism that, regardless of the suffering of Palestinians, has committed atrocious crimes, including the October 7 attacks.