“Hot Forests”: Spatial Concentration of Forest “Pyro-Terrorism” in Israel

Abstract

AbstractOne of the areas in terrorism research that has not been adequately examined is the geographic concentration of pyro-terrorism (PT) attacks. The literature related to the geographical distribution of terror generally focuses on macro-places (continents, countries and regions) and micro-places – “hot spots”. However, to our knowledge, the geographical distribution of terror in forests has yet to be studied. The findings of “hot spots” studies have great relevance for law enforcement practitioners. This study examines the spatial characteristics of forest PT and whether there is a concentration of PT attacks in a limited number of “hot forests” that are stable over time. This study examined the entire population of suspected forest PT in Israel between 2008 and 2022 (excluding 2016), totalling 2,297 attacks. The research revealed high spatial clustering of forest PT attacks concentrated in specific “hot forests” and that they were stable over time. In conclusion, the concentration of PT attacks calls for a specialized counterterrorism response, equivalent to “hot spots policing”, based on the characteristics of potential terrorist hot forests.