Israeli Bus Bombing Disregards Sanctity of Human Life

It is with profound shock and deep sorrow that we mourn the loss of 23 Israelis who were killed by two terrorist bus bombs this past Sunday. May their memories be for a blessing.

These bombs mark the end of a four-month lull in violence since the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Unfortunately, they are only the latest in a long line of terrorist attacks in the past few years. Almost all of these acts have been the work of Hamas, the terrorist organization which claimed responsibility for the Sunday bombings.

With every bombing, Hamas demonstrates its utter disregard for the sanctity of human life. Its actions serve as a constant reminder that there are still many who rejoice over the deaths of Jews and who strive for the destruction of the State of Israel.

We call upon all people of conscience throughout the world to condemn such heinous crimes. In particular, we call upon Yassir Arafat to make greater efforts to prevent these acts of terror from occurring. We welcome his unequivocal condemnation of the bombings and hope that he will put actions behind his words, to help make Israel-and the entire region-a place where people do not have to face death on their way to work every morning.

Finally, in this dark hour, we reaffirm our commitment to a lasting peace in the Middle East. Neither Israel nor its neighbors can afford a future of perpetual war and bloodshed. We hope and pray that the dream of peace will one day become a reality. --David J. Andorsky '97   Chair, Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel