June 18, 2002

Another Nasty Suicide Bombing Near Bethlehem

[Bethlehem, Palestine] Today there was another nasty suicide bus bombing outside Bethlehem. It was near the Gilo settlement, between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. I think it was probably close to the Jerusalem Mall. 19 people were killed and 40-50 were injured. I still say that nothing justifies these bombings.

So Bethlehem was nervous all day.

Yesterday I noticed that a few new businesses had opened. I was happy that things looked a bit livelier. Manger Square was filled with cars. Shop owners were expecting a few tourists. More old men were trying to entice you to enter their shops to buy souvenirs But today more things were closed. Many businesses closed early. Many people were talking about what Bethlehem should expect tonight. The actions of a few affect the entire community.

(Actually, yesterday a Palestinian was shot and killed in El Hader beside Bethlehem. I was just hanging out there a bit the day before taking photos. I was told today that the Israelis are keeping a permanent camp there now -- between El Hader and Solomon's Pools. Some of the El Hader roadblock photos are on my newsgroup site.)

It was reported that the bomber was not from Bethlehem, which was a relief to some people. I heard he was a student from Nablus, which means that the folks in Nablus have something to look forward to tonight. Perhaps the folks in Bethlehem do too.

Who supports this activity? Almost every Palestinian I talk to condemns the bombings. Who the heck supports them? I read a Ha'aretz opinion poll which said that 50% of the Palestinian population favors the bombings. 50%? Who are these people? I must be talking to the other 50%. No one tells me they are glad about them. Instead, around here they are worried about how the Israelis will respond.

I've been reading some books by Chuck Coleson, former Nixon aide who spent seven months in prison for his role in the Watergate affair. In "Life Sentence," he describes how a few prisoners go crazy from their imprisonment. They attempt escapes with only days remaining on their sentence. Maybe some of that frame of mind is present in the bombers here. They just can't take any more imprisonment.

There were a large group of soldiers at the Bethlehem checkpoint this evening. I asked some of the Jerusalem-to-Bethlehem bus drivers, and they said that no tanks were near. That's a positive sign.

HUM-V at the Bethlehem Checkpoint. Man, I would love to have one of those! Actually, I could use two of them. One for May Cattle Farms in Virginia (where I could haul hogs to Turner Ham House) and one as a United Methodist vehicle here in the West Bank. (Kind sponsors may want to note that I prefer my Hummer without the machine gun mount. Any color is acceptable, but black looks really baaaad.)

Soldier arrived in trucks and buses. The soldier-filled bus must make a terribly attractive target to the suicide bomber.