A woman has died from her injuries, and the AP still can’t bring itself to blame Palestinians in the headline. And we also have the “cycle of violence” theme redux. Note the language. “A bomb struck” the bus stop. It must have been walking by, or lying in wait, and then it attacked. And who killed the woman? Why, the bomb did. As for who was responsible? Well, “authorities” think it’s Palestinian terrorists. I mean, militants.
A bomb struck a crowded bus stop in central Jerusalem Wednesday, killing one woman and wounding more than 20 other people in what authorities said was the first major Palestinian militant attack in the city in several years.
The bombing brought back memories of the second Palestinian uprising last decade, a period in which hundreds of Israelis were killed by suicide bombings in Jerusalem and other major cities.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but authorities blamed Palestinian militants and threatened harsh retaliation. The attack came against the backdrop of a rising wave of violence that has threatened a lengthy period of relative calm, and made hopes for a negotiated peace ever more distant. The moderate Palestinian government in the West Bank condemned the violence.
What is that rising wave of violence? Dozens of rockets, mortars, and Grad missiles fired on southern Israel. In response, the IDF is killing terrorists who are firing the rockets. This is the AP “rising wave of violence.” Also, the “relative calm” that the AP cites includes hundreds of shells fired into Israel. Hundreds. That’s considered “relative calm.” Or a ceasefire that Hamas “mostly” holds. Your home was hit by a rocket? Hey. You’re not dead. It doesn’t count. You were killed by a rocket? Hey. It’s only a few here and there. Doesn’t count. The cease-fire holds.
There will likely be some kind of strong reprisal. Hamas has been asking for it, because it needs to cement its hold on Gazans. The natives are getting restless, protesting against Hamas and demanding more freedom. Watch for the UN condemnation of Israel. It will be blistering. But that’s a post for another time.