Suicide bombing in Tel Aviv

The suicide bombing in Tel Aviv yesterday killed 9 and injured 36, of whom 7
are critically injured. It was anticipated that eventually a bomber would be
successful, since the number of threats had risen drastically over Pesach, and
it is impossible to thwart all of them. The pattern is the same as before,
they kill our civilians randomly and in return we target their terrorists.
But, there are two unusual features of this bombing, first the video released
by the Islamic Jihad shows a child as the bomber. Although they claimed that
he is 20 years old it is evident that he is about 16. This is another feature
of their continuing attempts to thwart the security forces, they have used
women, men dressed as chassidic Jews and now a child. A second unusual
feature is that they bombed the same place as last January, a felafel stand
called "Rosh ha'ir" in the old bus station Neve Sha'anan district. The new
bus station is protected by high security at all entrances, while the old area
is now a crowded market district. Among the dead are two foreign workers
from Romania as well as the security guard who was seen questioning the
terrorist before he detonated himself and a 16 year old US tourist was
critically wounded.
The attack marred the ceremonies for the opening of the new 17th Knesset
that were taking place in Jerusalem at the same time. The Defense Ministry
spokesman said that the statements emanating from Iran and Syria supporting
such terrorist acts were a "declaration of war" against Israel. Statements by
left wing politicians such as Beilin that this shows that we need to be
negotiating with the Palestinians are ludicrous, because they are clearly not
interested in negotiating with us. That's why they elected an extremist
terrorist Government. While the spokesman for Pres Abbas of the PA, Saeb
Erekat, as usual condemned the bombing and said it was "against the interests
of the Palestinian people," the Hamas spokesman justified the attack and
blamed the "occupation," although Israel no longer occupies any of Gaza, and
would be happy to negotiate a withdrawal from the West Bank.
PM Olmert said that Israel would know how to react, but he has said things
like this before. Since this is the first successful suicide bombing in a
year, the previous one was in Tel Aviv in February 2005, when 4 were killed,
it represents the beginning of the new wave of aggression marked by the
accession to power of Hamas and their support for all forms of terrorism
against Israel. In that respect this is a new situation and perhaps a far more
dangerous and understandable one for those who have had reservations about
Israel's military actions to protect itself in the past.