Israeli newspapers on Wednesday were unanimous in their condemnation of the suicide bombing of a bus in Jerusalem, which killed about 20 people including several children.
The papers ponder the impact that this latest attack will have on the future of the US-backed peace "roadmap", with several fearing it could now be on the brink of collapse.
Terror returns to Jerusalem. Sharon: They are really animals: 18 dead, including children and babies
Yediot Aharonot - headline
There are two simple lessons from the suicide bombings yesterday in Baghdad and Jerusalem: No one is safe and there is no turning back. Suicide terrorism is the plague of this century. It cannot be escaped, denied or appeased. It must be defeated... Terrorism can be beaten and will be beaten, but only when the terrorists and the countries that back them face a united front of free nations determined to give them no quarter.
Jerusalem Post - editorial
In view of yesterday's attack it seems that the leadership in Israel will do everything in order not to move to implementation of the next phase of the road map... the immediate temptation in Israel would be to launch a big military campaign, but the solution will not be found this way. It seems there will be a series of reactions, and not one big move.
Ha'aretz - report
This was a strategic terrorist attack
Ma'ariv - headline
After yesterday's terrorist attack in Jerusalem, the ceasefire is no longer in a critical situation, as the head of the Intelligence Branch said at the weekend. It has suffered a clinical death. Only a miracle will rescue it, and even then this would be artificial revival.
Ma'ariv - Commentary by Amir Rapaport
The attack in Jerusalem is going to force all the sides toward a decision - to halt the deterioration and put the road map back on track or to allow the escalation that will lead to the collapse of the Abu Mazen government and renewed Israeli occupation of the West Bank cities - and possibly Gaza.
Ha'aretz - Commentary by Amos Harel
The more the signs mounted of an impeding collapse of the hudna [truce], the more the uppermost echelons of the defence and political establishment in Israel appeared confused, openly at odds with itself... Then came the terror attack, freeing everyone of the dilemmas and the disputes... After the Israeli response, talks will continue - but on a different basis.
Ha'aretz - Commentary by Aluf Benn
This is the paradox. They all knew all the time that one mad fundamentalist covered in 10-kg explosive charge... could change the face of the Middle East just like that. They knew, waited for this to happen, and prayed this would take a little bit more time. Perhaps with luck the number of victims would not be high. But luck ran out yesterday. Luck is no substitute for policy.
Yedi'ot Aharonot - Commentary by Alex Fishman
Yesterday's terrorist attack in Jerusalem pushes the new Palestinian leadership to the wall, one minute before the firing party takes its position. A forceful, dramatic change in Abu Mazen and [Palestinian security chief Mohammed] Dahlan's attitude to the terrorist organizations can convince [Israeli Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon and [Israeli Defence Minister Shaul] Mofaz to give the ceasefire another chance. The continued chatter about a self-sustaining 'hudna' will lead, very soon, to the collapse of the whole business.
Ma'ariv - Commentary by Hemi Shalev
Abu Mazen and Dahlan must take off their tailored suits and stop the false word games about a 'fence' that is actually a 'wall' and capture the heads of the terrorist organizations, disarm them, try them and imprison them... If not, Israel will quit for a one-sided move: a fence, war on terror, defence of settlements at the current level, wait for a Palestinian leadership that does not deceive.
Ma'ariv - Commentary by Dan Margalit
Abu Mazen and Dahlan are the address: pressure should be put on them - mainly political pressure from the US to make them deal differently with terror. In parallel, there is a need to deal pin-pointedly with terror, against leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad... Pressure should also be put on the population. If the Palestinian population wants change, wants welfare, seeks political solution - it must dispel terror from its ranks.
Yedi'ot Aharonot - Commentary by Roni Shaked
BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~09~RS~)
One-Minute World News
News services
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version
