India’s TV have come out with this report on baby Moshe, who lost his parents during the siege at Nariman House but miraculously escaped, thanks to the efforts of his Indian nanny.

The Experiences of an Englishman in Rocket-Hit Israel

There’s nothing to prepare you for the myriad of emotions that flush through your mind and body when a rocket alert siren sounds. Then there are the thoughts and feelings that grab hold when you hear ground shaking explosions and the sound of police cars and ambulances racing through the city streets soon afterwards. One moment you are going about your daily routine, which might include being in a deep sleep and the next, you are rushing like a startled rabbit towards your designated shelter.

I’ve been living in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod for nearly a year after meeting and falling in love with a beautiful and charming Israeli woman. In this time period there have been approximately a dozen rocket attacks on our city and hundreds more on cities, towns and villages in the surrounding region, including Ashkelon, Beersheba and the unfortunate Sderot. The rockets originate in the Gaza Strip, just over 20 miles away from Ashdod and are being fired by Islamic terrorists intent on killing as many Jews as possible and eventually taking Israel for their own Islamic state.

Let’s briefly study the anatomy of a rocket attack on a major Israeli city. When terrorists fire a rocket, a satellite system picks up the trajectory of the missile and instantly calculates where it is likely to fall. The system then activates a city-wide siren in the location where the deadly warhead is heading. The siren sounds and people rush to either a communal shelter, a safety room within their home or any other place which might offer protection from an explosion and related shrapnel. In Ashdod, we have 45 seconds to get to this safe place. In neighbouring Ashkelon, it is even less.

The rocket alert siren sounds for around 40 seconds.

The rocket alert siren sounds for around 40 seconds. The sound is very similar to the World War 2 siren you hear in old black and white war films. It is omnipresent and comes at you from multiple directions. It’s also very loud and there’s no chance you’ll mistake it for a car alarm. Strangely enough, whilst the siren is sounding, you know you are relatively safe. The danger comes when it stops. That’s when the rockets fall. In nearly all cases that I have experienced, the explosions occurred within 15 seconds of silence descending on the city. It’s a haunting silence for you know everyone is doing the same as you and that is listening for the thuds of falling rockets. Two weeks ago we heard 4 explosions hit the city, one after the other and each louder than the next. Elsewhere on that day, an Israeli civilian who was a father of 4, was killed by shrapnel.

For years, before and during my time in Israel, I’ve heard people in the West referring to the rocket attacks as mere fireworks that do little damage other than a bit of smoke and cracks in the road. I knew this to be untrue, even prior to hearing and seeing the damage they do first-hand. Every day I pass a building still gutted from when a rocket scored a direct hit a few years ago. On Youtube you can see video clips of a 6-storey block of flats half demolished from just one rocket. The only reason why more people are not killed is because of the safety measures the government here has taken in the form of rocket shelters, drills, sirens, surveillance drones and frequent information on what to do in the event of an attack.

The rocket attacks are brutally hard on parents and their children.

The rocket attacks are brutally hard on parents and their children. I’ve been with families when the siren sounded and witnessed the fear in the eyes of burly fathers who would not otherwise flinch from tackling a burglar in the middle of the night. They carry their little crying daughters in their arms and rush to their safety room, knowing full well that a direct hit on their home could mean death. I’ve also seen a mother vomit with fear after rushing her kids into a shelter. They have every reason to be terrified for their children’s safety. In 2004, a toddler and baby were killed when a rocket exploded inside their home in Sderot.

When you don’t have children, the sense of danger and fear is less but not altogether absent. Most rocket attacks have taken place during the night hours when we are asleep. The shock of being awoken by loud Banshee wailing and instinctively racing towards the front door (our shelter is next door) is quite a blow to one’s nerves, especially when you know there is a serious and genuine threat to life careering through the night skies towards you. Yet people here have adapted to these intrusions and within minutes you see people resuming their normal activities, even when there is every chance of another siren sounding any second.

I’m a proud Englishman with a great fondness for the State of Israel. This bond was formed prior to meeting my Israeli girlfriend and came about through sympathy and support for their existential cause. The Jewish people’s brave fight against the theo-political ideology of Islam which has Jew hatred written in their scriptures is one that all decent Europeans and Americans should back Israel in. For years I wished I could do something more for Israel instead of writing essays on why it deserves to exist in peace, from a safe and comfortable desk in England. Finally I got that chance. On most days I feel like any Englishman would, living in, or visiting, the Near East or Mediterranean and that is, a foreigner, which of course is natural. However, on those days when the skies rain rockets and the sirens sound, I feel, if all but briefly, very much an Israeli.

Guest post by Edward Beaman-Hodgkiss

Police lift the terrorist to the ambulance (Photo: Moti Kimchi). Yes, we treat even terrorists with dignity

A Palestinian attacker wounded eight Israelis near a Tel Aviv nightclub early Monday, slamming into a police checkpoint with a stolen taxi and then stabbing others, police said.

The attacker was a Palestinian in his twenties from the city of Nablus, according to police spokeswoman Luba Samri.

Just before 2 a.m., the attacker stole a taxi in south Tel Aviv and then drove into a police checkpoint securing the street near a popular nightclub, she said.

He then got out of the car and stabbed passers-by, she said, while shouting “Allahu akbar” – Arabic for “God is great,” a phrase often used as a battle-cry by Islamic terrorists.

The wounded included four policemen and three civilians, Samri said.

One of the eight people hurt was listed in a serious condition in hospital and the others suffered light to moderate injuries, Samri said.

The Palestinian told police that he had planned the attack in advance and chose the ‘Haoman 17′ nightclub, where over 1,000 revelers celebrated the end of the summer vacation. He also bought the knife and carefully planned the taxi attack. Only the police’s presence, he claimed, disrupted his plans.

At first, witnesses believed that it was a traffic accident but soon realized that it was a terrorist attack when the Palestinian exited the taxi and started stabbing passers-by.

The perpetrator managed to stab several individuals before he was restrained by police. He was lightly injured in the scuffle and taken to Wolfson Hospital in Holon.
 
Aharon Yampel, an Ihud-Hatzalah volunteer told Ynet, “When we arrived at the scene we saw several people hurt as they lay on the street with stab wounds. Others suffered injuries after they were hit by a car. We provided initial medical treatment at the scene until ambulances evacuated them to hospital.”

Elad, another eyewitness, recalled, “We suddenly heard a large boom. I saw the taxi slamming into another car and then a man came out and shouted ‘Allahu akbar’. He stabbed some people. There was yelling and a lot of noise until a police unit arrived and restrained him.”

Another witness by the name of Daniel said, “We were outside the club after they didn’t let us in. We saw a car that slammed into another car. It was scary. If it weren’t for the checkpoint, he would have made it straight to us. It’s a miracle. We had only gone out to have some fun.”

The cab driver whose car was stolen by the Palestinian also arrived at the scene and was questioned by police. “I picked him up in the Jaffa area. He asked to go to the central bus station. When we arrived he suddenly pulled out a knife and stabbed me in the hand. He tossed me out of the vehicle and continued driving.”

According to the driver, at one point the Palestinian said, “I only want your car,” but then pulled out the knife. “I struggled with him but he managed to stab me.”

Tel Aviv police chief Aaron Aksol said, “There is no doubt that the border police checkpoint prevented a much graver catastrophe. Our preparedness following terrorist warnings has proven itself.”

Israel police chief Yohanan Danino also arrived at the scene of the attack and praised the border police preparedness. He explained that police forces were on alert ahead of the end of Ramadan and that’s why the checkpoint was set up near the nightclub.

Meanwhile, it could have been a lot worse. Checkpoints save lives.

Here are four of those “soldiers.”

Israeli soldier Shula Karlinsky

Israeli soldiers Flora and Moshe Gez

Israeli soldier Yossef Levy

Other victims include St.-Sgt. Moshe Naftali and Counter-Terrorism officer, Paskal Avrahami, as well as a yet-to-be-named “Israeli soldier” who drove buses.

More on them here.

Here’s hoping our actual soldiers are given the mandate to do what really needs to be done.

REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

Not content with the murder and mayhem they perpetrated yesterday, palestinian terrorists have today fired at least 12 rockets at southern Israel, with one of them exploding in the courtyard of a yeshiva (a Jewish seminary). 6 10 people have been injured.

Meanwhile, an IAF air strike in response to yesterday’s carnage targeted Hamas installations. The terrorist mastermind behind yesterday’s attacks, who was also head of the Popular Resistance Committees, was turned into worm food. The worms apparently spat him out afterwards (bad aftertaste). Or, as the Hamas website put it in one of their “touching” terrorist tributes, he ”reached the hospital as fragments.”

Clearly, the terrorists plan on continuing to escalate their murderous plans to satiate their blood lust. We can only hope our leader develops the testicular fortitude to deal them crippling blows.

Egged bus 392 that was damaged in the shooting attack (Channel 2)

Dozens of people were hurt on Thursday after terrorists opened fire on two buses that were traveling in southern Israel near the city of Eilat. In addition to the shooting attacks on the buses, mortars were fired from the Egyptian border.

The first attack was on a bus traveling from Beer Sheva to Eilat, near the city of Netafim. Shortly after the bus attack, IDF forces engaged in a shootout with the armed men near the scene of incident.

Initial reports indicate that the shooting came from a car that was following Egged bus 392, traveling on Route 12 in southern Israel. According to reports, the passengers in the car opened fire at the bus, which held many soldiers returning from their bases.

Israeli security forces searched for the suspected vehicle and set up barricades in the area, and once they caught up with the vehicle a shootout between IDF forces and the gunmen erupted.

Two IDF helicopters were called to the scene in order to evacuate those wounded to Yoseftal hospital in Eilat.

Magen David Adom director told Army Radio that those wounded are all in light to moderate condition and remain conscious, and assured that the incident is under control.

Security forces are investigating whether the incident was a terrorist attack.

Five of the wounded are reportedly in critical condition.

8:58PM: The Iron Dome missile defense system has intercepted at least one Qassam rocket fired towards Ashkelon.

8:30PM: And the attacks continue: 2 more people were critically wounded when gunfire erupted close to the site of the deadly series of terror attacks, during a press conference by Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF chief Benny Gantz.

6:48PM: The IAF has reportedly struck Gaza.

6:35PM: Some reader reactions from the palestinian Ma’an News Agency report on the attacks:

2 ) Salma / Palestine18/08/2011 13:26smell of an “Israeli” intelligence operation. same old games.

——————————————————————————–

3 ) Omar / Gaza18/08/2011 13:32Good news, bravo Israel and well done.

——————————————————————————–

4 ) Heba / Jenin18/08/2011 13:34thought jews do not kill each other !

——————————————————————————–

5 ) Wissam / Palestine18/08/2011 13:35The target was a vehicle carrying SOLDIERS. Therefore this is not a terror attack but an internationally-sanctioned resistance operation against an occupying power.

——————————————————————————–

6 ) Goerge / Ramallah18/08/2011 13:35for Netanyahu and liberman It’s okay to kill some Jews to stay in the government .

——————————————————————————–

7 ) Ahmad / Nablus18/08/2011 13:41shame on you Netnyahu, cant you find a better way to silence the protesters against your government ? terror is not the soultion .

——————————————————————————–
9 ) Palestinian 4 ever / Palestine18/08/2011 13:54Zionists do not dare to re-occupy Sinai or gaze . Israel is so much weaker today than ever.

——————————————————————————–

10 ) chil / usa18/08/2011 13:55bravo, and this is not a terrorists attack, this was a military operation on military targets. if nato can seek out military targets and kills civilians in the process and get away with it then all is fair. if any civilians died its too bad they should know israel is a closed military zone that u enter at ur own risk. more attacks should happen like this. there’s no way that israel should be allowed to occupy palestine without paying a price.

——————————————————————————–

11 ) Ali / Amman18/08/2011 14:02We are not against Jews ……. But we will not allow stealing our land. We will not rest until we liberate all our land, all our Palestine

——————————————————————————–

12 ) Amjad ibn Hamas / Gaza18/08/2011 14:07hahhaha, Gen.Barak can not do anything, It’s the beginning of the end dear zionists.

——————————————————————————–

13 ) ebb / anflow18/08/2011 14:26long live al kataeb al aqsa

——————————————————————————–

14 ) Proud Palestinian / Dubai18/08/2011 16:00israeli elite commando soldiers fail to return fire. loool

——————————————————————————–

15 ) Mousa / Egypt18/08/2011 16:01Israel no longer can act against Sanai . cowards.

——————————————————————————–

16 ) Fadi / Ramallah18/08/2011 16:08Mbrook Barak , what would you do? resign, no other choice. hahahahahah

——————————————————————————–

17 ) free palestine / u.s.a18/08/2011 16:08I want to know all casualties from each seperate attack, i hope they plan more of these attacks

——————————————————————————–

18 ) Rania / Nablus18/08/2011 16:10ITF soldiers, Don’t hold your breath : )

——————————————————————————–
20 ) abu Jihad / Gaza18/08/2011 16:21barak you coward , strike gaza again, for us there is nothing to lose.

——————————————————————————–

21 ) Palestinian fighter / Palestine18/08/2011 16:27the dead are of the most elite Israeli Special units, WOW . Our Congratulations to the Defense Minister Ehud Barak Lt. Gen. Beni Gantz Beni Gantz. . promise you more to come

——————————————————————————–

22 ) Omar / USA18/08/2011 16:35this is the only language that the Zionists understand. The Criminal State of Israel is responsible for the death and displacement of Millions of innocent people. Why is this a shock? Why are Jews who fought the Nazi’s heroes and the Palestinians who fight for freedom not?

There can never be peace with these zionists….. NEVER.

——————————————————————————–

23 ) michael handala / earth18/08/2011 16:46it came from gaza according to barak? That is a lie, it is conjecture,it is wishful thinking so that they can go back in and start doing the nazi slaughter of civilians again….Just the perfect false flag they were looking for to stop the birth of Palestine, and the coming of the 81 congressmen…Bad timing…for Palestine….

This is why peace is so far away.

6:30PM: As opposed to the cowardly terrorists, here is a real hero.

Reuters

Benny Belevsky, the bus driver on the 392 Egged bus that was attacked by terrorists on Thursday en route from Beersheba to Eilat, was able to prevent a tragedy from turning into a catastrophe by taking swift action in real time.

Witnesses say the 60-year-old driver continued to drive through the hail of gunfire, doing his best to escape the terrorists. Passengers on the bus also reported a few soldiers on board fired back at the terrorists as the bus sped away.

Just before Netafim junction I heard gunfire,” the driver told Ynet. “The bullets hit the bus and two of them shattered the window near me, passed just above my head and hit the ceiling. I am experienced enough to know that I should keep driving and that I mustn’t stop so that the damage doesn’t get worse.”

Belevsky added that the passengers panicked, and that some of them were hurt, but he knew he had to get to the IDF checkpoint at Netafim. “It was scary – you never think something like this will happen to you. But I did what I had to do,” he said.

The packed bus was filled with passengers, mostly on their way to a pleasant summer vacation. “The driver accelerated and was able to prevent a much more serious outcome,” one said

6:26PM: More details have emerged from the attack:

The 3 terrorists who fired at the bus were dressed in IDF uniforms

The cell that committed the attack was comprised of 10-20 terrorists

They made use of rifles and missiles

There was a fouth attack, which took place at 1:30 pm, whereby terrorists fired at another bus and a private vehicle, killing those inside

4:47PM: Channel 2 has reported that the bodies of the terrorists were rigged with explosives.

4:45PM: 2 children are reportedly among the dead, but that’s ok to Hamas and the other terror organizations, since they are considered legitimate targets.

4:42PM: According to an Israeli official, the terrorists went from Gaza into Sinai and then infiltrated Israel.

4:35PM: Run, cowards, run.

But before scurrying off in to hiding, a Hamashole said the group was not behind the attacks, but praised them anyway.

4:25PM: Reports of the death toll rising to 7.

4:22PM: Egypt has denied any involvement in the attack, with an Egyptian security official saying:

“Egypt was in no way involved in the incident, since it is difficult to penetrate the Egypt-Israel border.

Is he for real?!

4:20PM: In the wake of the terror attack, Magen David Adom is setting up stations to collect needed blood. Donations tomorrow (Friday) Jerusalem: Tachanat Mercazit and at the Mashbir 9:00 AM-1:00 PM
Modiin: Yishpero Center (next to Aeroflex & Mega Bul) 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Bring your Teudat zehut.

You can also call 1 800 400 101 for donating blood.

3:35PM: Still awaiting world condemnation of attacks, coupled with calls for Israel to show restraint and stop building houses.

3:32PM: Sky News report:

3:22PM: IDF Spokesperson announcement on the attack:

Combined Terrorist Attacks in Southern Israel

Combined terrorist attacks are currently taking place on Israeli territory, near the Israel- Egypt border, approximately 20 kilometers north of the city of Eilat.

Nine people were injured when terrorist opened fire at an Israeli bus approximately two hours ago. The injured were evacuated to receive medical care at a nearby hospital.

Several people were injured as a result of an explosive device, detonated on an IDF force that arrived at the scene and drove over it.

Crossfire between IDF forces, led by the Commander of the 80th Division, Brigadier General Tamir Yadi and the cell of terrorists is currently underway. Additional IDF and rescue forces are arriving at the scene.

IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant – General Benny Gantz arrived at the Division a short while ago and is currently holding an initial situation assessment.

The IDF calls on the public to avoid the area and allow security and rescue forces to carry out their tasks.

3:20PM: AP report on the attack:

3:15PM: It’s been confirmed: 5 dead.

2:15PM: Hamas reports:

Occupied Om Ar-Rashrash- Two Israeli military buses carrying soldiers were ambushed by a group of unknown militant members in the occupied territories city of Eillat( Om Ar-rashrash) southern of the occupied Palestine, Thursday August18th, 2011.

Israeli sources reported in an initial details that six Israeli soldiers were killed, while 25 others have suffered moderate to mild injuries in the attack, which took place about 30km(18 miles) north of Om Ar-Rashrash.

To the terrorists, we are all “soldiers” and all of Israel is “occupied land.”

2:04PM: Several people have been reported dead, in addition to the 15 wounded. May G-d avenge their blood.

2:00PM: I have heard reports the terrorists have been killed.

I would like to join the people of Israel in offering my condolences to the people of Norway, especially the families and friends of the victims. Our prayers are with you, although there are many people out there who have seized on the fact killer Anders Behring Breivik seems to have been pro-Israel, and have tried to implicate us.

People such as anti-Israel writer Gilad Atzmon, who stops short of suggesting the killer was a Mossad agent. But only just.

I am not in a position at present to firmly point a finger at Israel, its agents, or its sayanim — but assembling the information together, and considering all possibilities may suggest that Anders Behring Breivik might indeed, have been a Sabbath Goy.

Within its Judaic mundane-societal context, the Sabbath Goy is simply there to accomplish some minor tasks the Jews cannot undertake during the Sabbath. But within the Zion-ised reality we tragically enough live in, the Sabbath Goy kills for the Jewish state. He may even do it voluntarily.

 Or this Swedish-Algerian journalist who does not suscribe to the view we needed a middleman.

Yahya Abu Zakariya: I blame two parties in the West [for the Norway attacks] – the extremist right and the Israeli Mossad

[…]

You will witness similar operations in Denmark, in Sweden, in Iceland, in Finland, and in Britain. This is [part of] the Zionist strategy of ridding Europe of its Muslim population under the slogan of preventing Islam from settling in Europe, so that Europe will continue to support the Zionist entity

[…]

According to a study conducted by Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, and Icelandic scholars, in 2050 Muslims will constitute half of the population of northern Europe. This is a strategic development that has grave consequences for the future of northern Europe.

If the Mossad, which places its stake on Europe, and which has become active in the West by means of the notion of the Holocaust, does not begin to dissipate this rising [Muslim] forces in the West, the Zionist Entity will face great danger in the future.

And he’s not alone. Even the seemingly unremarkable Salem News has published a piece by a guy claiming the date of the attack holds a clue as to who is responsible.

The attack on Oslo came exactly 65 years to the day after the Israeli Irgun blew up the King David Hotel in Jerusalem that left over 90 people dead. The violent blast even killed passers by and people in adjacent neighboring buildings. 91 people of various nationalities were killed and 46 were injured This was an attack directed at British soldiers who just the year before, were still fighting the Nazi’s.

Sadly, it is not a major surprise for many students of history, to hear that the alleged right wing terrorist responsible for dozens killed in Norway has connections to both fascism movements, and Israel.

That statement may offend the sensibilities of many, but the stark truth is that Israel was literally formed by bands of terrorists in the 1940′s who killed many British in their quest to establish a Jewish state.

Beyond the attack on the King David Hotel, the Irgun group is remembered best for the Deir Yassin massacre in Palestine that left several hundred men, women and children slaughtered. The Irgun were known as a group that strongly believed in retaliation against the British and all non-Jewish residents of the area, and even had conflict with Jews who didn’t believe in or failed to endorse their violence.

 This whole blame-the-Jew thing is getting old already. Like thousands of years ago.

Update: No doubt, those who fall for the anti-Israel propaganda will likely also be moved by Hamas’ condemnation of the attack.

The Hamas Movement expressed its solidarity with the people of Norway and the families of victims who were massacred in terrorist attacks on Friday, condemning what happened as heinous crimes.

In a press release on Saturday, Hamas said these attacks showed the danger of the extremist tendencies that promote incitement and hatred against Islam, which targeted this time Norwegian young men and women who established camps to support the occupied people of Palestine and call for ending Israel’s blockade on the Gaza Strip.

The Movement stressed that the ongoing unjust incitement campaign led by the US against the besieged Palestinian people and against their supporters in the world must be stopped immediately because it provides cover for the Zionist extremism and prompt such terrorist attacks.

Two trucks plowed down a busy street in Tel Aviv on Sunday morning, crashing into a bus, several vehicles and a number of pedestrians.

The drivers then sped off, leaving behind at least five casualties, one of them in critical condition. The driver of one of the trucks has been arrested.

There were immediate speculations that the incident was an attempted terrorist attack.

And why wouldn’t this be the speculation, given today is their “Naqba Day”, on which they commemorate Israel’s establishment as the great disaster and engage in violent fun for the whole family.

Updates (Israel time; latest from top)

12:26PM: Another witness has claimed he heard the accused terrorist say “Allahu Akbar” and “death to Jews.”

 A witness who claims he stopped the “terrorist” who hit several cars on Tel Aviv’s Bar Lev Street Sunday, said he initially thought the driver had just lost control of his breaks.

Arik Levy told Israel radio that when he went to go help the driver, he saw him continue to hit cars and street lights, and heard him saying “Allahu Akbar” and “death to Jews.”

Levy said he ran up to the driver, the two struggled for a short time, and then police arrived at the scene after 10 minutes.  

12:12PM: Footage from the aftermath of the attack.

11:52AM: Photos from the scene (received from ZAKA)

11:42AM: The truck driver has claimed his tire exploded, causing him to lose control of vehicle (and apparently his anger as he attacked people after getting out of his truck).

11:36AM: In case it wasn’t already obvious this was a terror attack, here is what another eyewitness saw:

“He went on and crashed into a bus. He got out and began to go crazy, throwing things at people. There was this poor innocent girl — he struck her on the head. She just fell down, and now people are treating her. What can I tell you? A terrorist attack.”

11:30AM: Hamas on Twitter:

One military Zionist killed in the occupied territories on Nakba “catastrophe” day, Saturday 15/5/2011

See how they view all Israeli civilians? And we are expected to make peace with these people.

11:12AM: Eyewitness:

“The truck driver drove like a madman. He didn’t care for anything standing in his way. At first I thought it was a car accident or that the driver lost control, but with the truck’s speed – it was an indication this was probably a terror attack.”

10:50AM: The Arab driver reportedly “struck vehicles for two kilometers,”  but claims it was an accident.

I smell a (Naqba) rat.

10:45AM: One dead (a 40-year-old man), and at least 13 wounded. And the detained driver happens to be an Israeli Arab.

Photo: Channel 10

An bomb tied to a telephone poll exploded Wednesday at bus stop outside the International Convention Center, just opposite the central station in Jerusalem.

At least 25 people were wounded in the incident, four of them seriously. All of the casualties have been evacuated to the Hadassah Hospital in Ein Karem. The Magen David Adom emergency services said that there were no fatalities.

Bus No. 74 and No. 14 were hit in the explosion.

An eyewitness in the area at the time of the explosion told Haaretz that she heard a loud blast close to the central bus station and second later sirens began to wail and security forces appeared on the scene.

The entrance to the city has been closed. Security forces were combing the area for other suspicious packages or objects.

To state the obvious, Israel’s response needs to be swift and punishing.

Twitter Updates:

Blog Updates (Israel time; Latest from top)

11:08PM: Today, a kiosk owner noticed a suspicious bag, and called police. As he was speaking to them, it exploded.

Here’s the recording of the call.

10:44PM: Unbelievable bile published by the Huffington Post.

Mainstream Media Fails Again in Coverage of Jerusalem Bombing

The media in this country never ceases to disappoint. Media outlets all over the world make mistakes and lack in their coverage at one point or another, but I wanted to throw a few things at my TV after watching CNN’s coverage of the bombing in Jerusalem this morning. And to be fair to CNN, I didn’t get a chance to check out how other American media outlets covered the bombing, but I’m sure they didn’t veer off too far from CNN’s coverage.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing, but Isha Sesay, one of CNN’s genius anchors, started off the news hour with, “We begin with a gruesome explosion in Jerusalem.” Gruesome huh? How come there was no “breaking news” graphic when eight Palestinians were killed in Gaza yesterday? Palestinian children were killed by Israeli air raids, but I guess that’s not gruesome enough for some media outlets. The death of innocent Palestinians is not considered breaking news. These “news” outlets always seem to pick up the story half way through and never from the beginning (when Palestinians are getting killed by Israelis); it’s only when an Israeli gets killed or injured that breaking coverage begins.

The era of responsible journalism is long dead; I know that, but tell us the ENTIRE story. There is always a beginning, middle, and an end. Tell us about the Israeli blockade on Gaza that has crippled the Gazan economy and has made living conditions there unbearable for its 1.5 million citizens. The UN described the situation there as “grim”, “deteriorating” and a “medieval siege.”

Then CNN had the mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, on the phone to discuss the bombing. Barkat began by telling us how “innocent people were hurt” and how they will find the “coward person” who committed this act. Yes, innocent people were hurt and that’s always wrong and unfortunate, but “innocence” isn’t exclusive to Israelis. And the Israeli military commits acts of cowardice on a daily basis when it drops bombs on defenseless Palestinian civilians.

Carol Costello, with a really sad looking face like she’s about to cry, told us about two Israeli pregnant women who went into labor after the explosion. Again, this is unfortunate and no one should have to live through the fear of being blown up into a thousand different pieces, whether it is on a bus or via an Israeli air raid, but there have been countless pregnant Palestinian women who have had to deliver their babies on Israeli checkpoints due to arbitrary restrictions on movement. Not to mention the deaths of Palestinian babies on these checkpoints due to complications and the lack of medical supplies.

Yes, I write this from a Palestinian perspective, but it doesn’t mean that I am insensitive to the loss of innocent life on the other side. Yes, I am angry about the Israeli occupation and treatment of Palestinians, but it doesn’t mean that I agree with or support bombing a bus full of innocent people. Neither do the majority of Palestinians. But at the same time, I cannot stand how some media organizations in this country jam Israeli propaganda down the throats of their viewers and readers. The Pro-Israeli slant in the media here makes me cringe with disgust. And I KNOW I’ m not the only informed viewer who does an eye-roll when it comes to American TV stations’ coverage of the region.

The American media’s coverage of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the conflict that ensues because of this occupation really infuriates me to say the least. Tell me both sides of the story. Provide me with context. Present me with the facts and explain to me the WHY! Overlooking such basic elements of journalism places a good deal of responsibility on mainstream American media outlets with regard to perpetuating public ignorance about the Middle East.

10:00PM: Honest Reporting notices a trend when it comes to the mainstream media’s treatment of the attack.

8:20PM: Holy moral equivocations, Batman! US President Barack Obama has chosen to offer condolences for the loss of palestinian life yesterday at the same time as he condemned today’s terror attack.

US President Barack Obama also condemned the blast Wednesday afternoon.

“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the bombing in Jerusalem today, as well as the rockets and mortars fired from Gaza in recent days. Together with he said. “There is never any possible justification for terrorism. The United States calls on the groups responsible to end these attacks at once and we underscore that Israel, like all nations, has a right to self-defense.”

However, the president also chose to express America’s condolences for Palestinian deaths at this time.

“We also express our deepest condolences for the deaths of Palestinian civilians in Gaza yesterday. We stress the importance of calm and urge all parties to do everything in their power to prevent further violence and civilian casualties,” he said

6:55PM: Huge Bezeq fail on the Channel 2 site.

6:45PM: From the Arabic version of Ma’an News (autotranslated):

It should be noted that an explosive device placed in a bag of garbage exploded about three weeks ago near a road leading to the settlement of Gilo in southern Jerusalem, wounding a Palestinian worker was injured.

What’s their point?

6:32PM: 7 more mortar shells fired into Israel. This is really the terrorists saying “Come get us if you can!”

6:30PM: Video report of the attack.

6:00PM: Photos of ZAKA volunteers clearing the blood and other body parts from the scene of the attack (click on images to enlarge).

5:42PM: As of two hours after the attack, no US official has made a statement.

515PM: The following hospital hotlines are available if you can’t reach loved ones:

• Shaarey Tzedek 1255125
• Hadassah Ein Karem 1255122

5:05PM: Israel radio has confirmed one dead.

4:56PM: Simply deplorable (hat tip: Shy Guy)

4:40PM: The device that exploded reportedly weighed between 1 and 2 kg and was packed with shrapnel.

4:38PM: Nice palestinian response to attack.  The handing out of sweets is no doubt soon to follow.

4:35PM: Scenes from Jerusalem earlier:

4:32PM: I have heard unconfirmed reports of at least one dead.

4:30PM: Comment from a friend: Must be those disgruntled Thai workers again (reference).

4:28PM: Live Channel 2 feed here.

4:26PM: Received from ZAKA:

Motti Bukchin, ZAKA volunteer: “We immediately began treating the wounded – two women who were lying on the pavement, by the side of the bus. We were joined by other ZAKA volunteers and emergency workers who assisted in treating and evacuating the wounded to hospital. We have not witnessed scenes like these in Jerusalem for years.”

The ZAKA volunteers are currently working on clearing the scene, including blood and body parts which have been spread over a wide area by the blast.

31 people were injured in the blast.

4:25PM: According to Israel’s Channel 2, eyewitnesses reported a trolly bag was left at the bus stop without an owner.

I, for one, did see the photos last night, and may have gotten one hours sleep if I was lucky.

In the meantime, I will attempt to post updates during the day.

Update: The Fogel family has been laid to rest.