Protesters occupy the federal building in Oakland

Why are you silent on this latest slaughter of Israeli teens at a pool hall.

May. 8, 2002
At least 16 killed in Rishon attack
"I'm in total shock from what I see here" - eyewitness Aviad Cohen
By DAVID RUDGE Êand MATTHEW GUTTMAN

At least 16 people were killed and 57 wounded in a suicide bombing at a Rishon Lezion pool hall late last night.

Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian spokeswoman, condoned the attack in an interview with Al Jazeera TV. She said it proves Sharon cannot provide security for his people through the use of force.

Eyewitness reports said the building was badly damaged and the ceiling collapsed.

Magen David Adom paramedics began treating the wounded and evacuating them to nearby hospitals.

MDA spokesman Yeruham Mandola said crews had treated more than 40 wounded and evacuated them to Ichilov, Sheba, and Wolfson hospitals.

He stressed, however, that there were reported to be many people still trapped under the rubble. The IDFs Homefront Command brought in cranes to help free those trapped.

Two hours after the blast, rescue workers, with the assistance of canine teams, continued to search the rubble for wounded.
Hanit Azulai who was driving past the pool hall told reporters there was a huge explosion and it appeared that the entire building went up in flames.

They was shouting and screaming and just trying to get out of there, she said moments after the explosion, which occurred after 11 p.m.

I'm in total shock from what I see here, Aviad Cohen, 20, of Bat Yam, said. People are sitting here crying in shock. I heard the blast and saw the window glass flying in all directions. You see total destruction here.

According to initial reports, the blast occurred on the third floor of a building in the new industrial area.

Reports from the scene said there were scores of people in the pool hall, many of them gamblers. This gave rise to speculation that the explosion that occurred may have been criminally motivated.

Later reports, however, said police had confirmed it was a suicide bombing. Police said the fact the explosive used was TNT led them to suspect Hamas, though no group had claimed responsibility.

Flames spurted from the building as emergency services raced to the scene, and the entire area was cordoned off to give police, the Fire and Rescue Service, and MDA crews easy access and enable speedy evacuation of the casualties.

Rishon Lezion Mayor Meir Nitzan said it was not the first time there had been an attack in the city, but he was referring to an Egyptian air raid in the distant past in which 24 people were killed.

Sharon had made it clear beforehand that any resumption of the diplomatic track would depend on a total cessation of terror attacks and an end to incitement.

ooh, look at the big brain on joe...

"Sharon had made it clear beforehand that any resumption of the diplomatic track would depend on a total cessation of terror attacks and an end to incitement."

wake up...would you not call 50 years of occupation incitement?

If a foreign army came to your lovely home in suburbia and started bulldozing, killing, causing general mayhem..... and then said, "we won't stop until you stop fighiting back?" Would you just bend over and hope they stop doing it soon? sure, why not?

Then they start building up houses right on that prime real estate where cousin Cletus used to live, diverting your water supply, allowing their untreated sewage to run into your tiny well, every once in a while they even throw a dirty diaper at you, just to remind you who's boss... but they are not leaving until you stop terrorising them, you dirty little terrorrist.

I apologize for the tone, I do feel terribly for the innocent Israeli loss of life-- it's terrible. but I don't honeslty think it will ever end until the Israeli population stands up and elects some responsible leadership willing to make some concessions to these subjugated people.

And they are subjugated. YOU are a victim of propaganda...don't feel bad...you are not alone. But wake up, do some research-- not just what you want to read. Look at what the rest of the world thinks of the situation. Unless you honestly believe in the racial superiority of the Israelis, it will be hard to reach the conclusion that the Palestinian people are the aggressors here.

Maybe befroe you start your research, read a little Orwell, or Huxley. Learn to consider your sources. The American media and the American political establishment have an agenda, and it gets pushed through with a moralistic tone you have to be very wary of.(one must always remember that in America today, all major media, be it TV, radio, magazines, print news, publishing, is owned by six companies). So, if after you've read up, or even just chewed the news a little before you've ingested it, you still feel the way you do. then have the guts to come out and say that the Israelis are better people and deserve that land, or I'm willing to have my government keep that area in turmoil so as to keep my fuel cheaper, or I'm willing to have my domestic elections take place in a foreign batlle zone, or whatever other intelligent thought might hatch in that big old brain...


At any rate, hope you came back and read this Joe.
Otherwise, I hope someone else out there got some entertainment out of my run-on sentences.

Also, remember that being anti- Isareli policy does not make you an antisemite.