Arutz Sheva [Latest is four Americans among those killed]

Hamas spokesman Abdel Aziz Rantisi made it quite clear today. He said that terrorist attacks will continue until all Jews leave Israel.

Rantisi made the remarks while claiming responsibility on behalf of Hamas for the slaughter of seven more people in Jerusalem this afternoon. A very powerful bomb exploded inside a school bag on a table inside a Hebrew University cafeteria shortly before 2 PM, killing the seven and wounding close to 90, including 12 people in serious and grave condition. Almost everyone in the cafeteria at the time was hurt to some degree. The wounded were taken to several Jerusalem hospitals, including nearby Hadassah-Mt. Scopus. While the general student population is currently on summer vacation, many foreign students, new immigrants and others are on campus for summer session courses and to prepare for the coming academic year.

Hamas claims that the attack is revenge for the liquidation of arch-terrorist Salah Shehadeh - but Jerusalem diplomatic sources are more than skeptical: "Was the Pesach Seder Massacre in Netanya also a response to Shehadeh's killing? Was the Sbarros slaughter [15 killed, a year ago almost to the day] also a response to Shehadeh's killing?"

Rev. Jesse Jackson called off his planned afternoon meeting with Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in Gaza, after Hamas, the terrorist group Yassin leads, took responsibility for the attack.

Police say that security at the university entrances is generally tight, and that the attack is therefore puzzling. However, a Hebrew University student paper printed an article in its January issue citing serious security inadequacies. The paper showed a photograph of a student jumping a campus fence near one of the Arab villages that surround the campus, and warned that the possibility of such infiltrations was not being dealt with. The university stated at the time that the student journalists are not security professionals, adding that clandestine security measures were being taken in addition to the more visible precautions.

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2002

Answers

Hamas members are in for a major disappointment.

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2002

I'm just waiting for certain Israelis to say, "Enough!" It must be very hard keeping a lid on some of the citizens who would badly like to go in and clean out certain neighborhoods.

I'm SOOOOOO glad that I'm not living over there right now. If things had worked out differently, I'd be there.

Well, no I wouldn't . . . no need to live in a war zone. My life is interesting enough, thank you.

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2002

One might assume that a university, even in Israel, would house a larger number of Palestinian apologists than the general population. The Pallis made a big mistake this time; there can be no defense for bombing a university cafeteria. Also, with their demand for all Jews to leave Israel they have finally told the truth.

Also, I believe Hamas was deliberately targeting Americans who are known to attend summer school in large numbers and to congregate in the cafeteria at lunch time.

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2002

Should the US go in and clean the Palestinian neighborhoods?

-- Anonymous, August 02, 2002

Barefoot, that would be a problem, cuz we're not talking about landfill solid waste, we're talking about hazardous waste. Not enough places to dispose of that stuff.

I don't think our defense forces out to be involved in protecting Americans overseas, certainly not ones that have intentionally put themselves in harms way. I hope we don't react.

-- Anonymous, August 02, 2002

I heard Ari Fleischer saying in response to a reporter's question that the administration thought the Israelis could handle the problem, words to that effect.

-- Anonymous, August 02, 2002