Published: October 26, 2005
Suicide Bombing in Israel Kills at Least Five
Israeli Official Says Attack Reinforces Need for Abbas to Dismantle Terrorist Groups
Washington, D.C. - A suicide bomber blew himself up in a coastal town north of Tel Aviv Wednesday, killing at least five Israelis and injuring about 30 more, according to Israeli press reports. The attack occurred a week after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with President Bush at the White House and stated his unwillingness to disarm militant groups.
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the bombing, carried out in an open-air market in the town of Hadera just before 4 p.m. Israeli officials condemned the attack and called once again on President Abbas to take control of terrorist groups. "The Palestinian Authority should once and for all disarm and dismantle the terror organizations," David Baker, a spokesman in Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office, told Ha'aretz newspaper.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, founder and president of The Israel Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about Israel, echoed that sentiment. "Palestinians now have control of all of Gaza and the opportunity to create a better future for themselves," Mizrahi said. "They must finally end terror and create hope - for the sake of both sides."
She added, "Israel made painful sacrifices this past summer by uprooting 8,500 of its citizens from Gaza so that not a single Jew remains there. The Palestinians must now do their part to promote peace and act against terror both in word and deed."
The terror attack was the second this month. On Oct. 16, the Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade, a faction of Abbas' own Fatah party, claimed responsibility for two drive-by shootings in the West Bank that killed three Israeli civilians and injured six more.
Last month, Abbas refused a request by the Quartet of international peace mediators to crack down on militant groups, saying, "We [Palestinians] know more and are more capable than others in dealing with our brothers."
The Israel Project is an international non-profit organization devoted to educating the press and the public about Israel while promoting security, freedom and peace. The Israel Project provides journalists, leaders and opinion-makers accurate information about Israel.
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