17 Israelis killed in suicide bombing

By Kesava Menon

MANAMA (BAHRAIN), JUNE 2. Seventeen Israelis were killed and 90 injured in a suicide bomb attack in Tel Aviv in the early hours of Saturday. The Palestinian Authority President, Mr. Yasser Arafat, has expressed his condemnation of the attack and, more importantly, ordered a complete ceasefire. It was unclear whether the Israeli Cabinet would be satisfied with the ceasefire call they have been demanding of Mr. Arafat or whether they would take some retaliatory action.

A suicide bomber, suspected to be Palestinian, blew himself up, scattering nails and scrap that he had wrapped around himself outside a night-club on the Tel Aviv street front. Israeli police later confirmed that 17 Israelis, 12 women and five men, and the suicide bomber were killed outright. Witnesses said that there was blood and body parts scattered all over the site. Many among the injured have lost their limbs. No group had claimed responsibility for the attack till late on Saturday evening. The Israel Government ordered an immediate and complete closure of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and held a series of sessions to decide whether they should order a stronger response.

The night club, or rather a cluster of establishments, is a popular spot and is situated at one end of the sea front boulevard which is crowded at all times of the day and night. This night club complex is just a parking lot and six-lane road avenue across from several major hotels and the Indian Embassy too is not very far away. The night club complex is a little isolated and its surroundings are not well lit so it is more popular with youth and is a fairly wild place on most nights of the week. Much worse damage could have occurred if the blast had taken place a kilometre north of this spot since that area is packed with restaurants, bars, fast food joints and has much more of a family clientele. In his statement, Mr. Arafat condemned all forms of violence against civilians and called on people on both sides to observe a complete ceasefire. His aides were quick to point out that this was for the first time since the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising eight months ago that Mr. Arafat had unequivocally called on his fighters to stop attacking Israelis. To that extent, Mr. Arafat does appear to have fulfilled the demands that Israel and the U.S. have been making for the past couple of weeks. But it is not certain that Israel will not consider this call as having come too late in the day.

The Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Ariel Sharon, had ordered a unilateral ceasefire more than 10 days ago and although Palestinians say that this order has not been strictly observed, the U.S. and the E. U. had lined up behind Israel in demanding that Mr. Arafat respond in kind.

There has been a strident debate going on within Israel about the best manner in which to respond to the spate of attacks launched by Palestinians after Mr. Sharon's ceasefire order. Recent opinion polls show that over half the Israeli population support the call by right-wing politicians for strong retaliatory action. But even some of the hardline Ministers in Mr. Sharon's Cabinet have insisted that they must continue to observe the ceasefire even if it were only to ensure that international opinion remained in their favour.

It is not at all certain that Israel will continue to observe restraint after such a horrific incident.

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Section  : International
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