Celebrating the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah yesterday – one of the most joyous of days in the Jewish calendar – I had no idea what was in store when I first sat down to watch the news this morning.
I have no doubt that most of you reading this have already heard about the horrendous coordinated terrorist attacks in Sinai, one of the destinations of choice for Israelis vacationing during the Succot holiday break. At least 49 or 30 people have been confirmed dead, depending on who you believe. What is beyond doubt, though, is that the death toll will rise, with many bodies still trapped in the ruins of what used to be the Taba Hilton.
I will leave it to the media and other bloggers to describe exactly what happened. What I want to offer, though, are my observations and thoughts about this latest crime against humanity:
According to a report on Channel 2, Egyptian border guards are not allowing Israeli soldiers operating with the Home Front Command rescue crews from entering Egypt through the Taba crossing in their IDF uniforms. Home Front Command is considering dressing the soldiers in civilian clothing to allow quick access the Taba Hotel, where some people are still feared trapped under the rubble.
Israeli paramedics operating in Taba reported that the bodies of dead Israelis were looted; their valuables and wallets were stolen.
