Is peace possible? Violence in the Middle East has many people worried that the war will spread. (International).On the night of March 28, dozens of Israeli families gathered at a seaside hotel to share a Passover Seder The Passover Seder (Hebrew: סֵדֶר, seðɛɾ, "order", "arrangement") is a Jewish ritual feast held on the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover (the 15th day of Hebrew month of Nisan). . But their joyous feast, commemorating the exodus of Jews from Egypt, was interrupted by a loud explosion. A Palestinian suicide bomber Noun 1. suicide bomber - a terrorist who blows himself up in order to kill or injure other people act of terrorism, terrorism, terrorist act - the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political had crept into the dining room and blown himself up, killing 26 Israelis and injuring 150 others. It was the bloodiest attack of the 18-month intifada (Palestinian uprising). A day after the "Passover massacre The Passover massacre (also known as the Netanya bombing) was a suicide bombing carried out by Palestinian terrorists in the Park Hotel at Netanya on March 27, 2002. The attack killed 30 Israeli civilians and triggered Operation Defensive Shield. ," Israeli tanks, armored vehicles, and troops surrounded Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat's compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah. "Behind the rise in terrorist activity and the terror attacks stands one man, and that is Arafat," said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (ARR-ee-el shah-ROHN). Sharon declared Arafat an enemy for supporting suicide bombings and other terrorist activities, and vowed to begin a military campaign to wipe out Palestinian terrorists. Israeli troops soon occupied Palestinian towns and refugee camps, as suicide bombers continued to maim maim v. to inflict a serious bodily injury, including mutilation or any harm which limits the victim's ability to function physically. Originally, in English Common Law it meant to cut off or permanently cripple a bodily member like an arm, leg, hand, or foot. and murder. Umramzi al-Qurimi, a 42-year-old Palestinian woman, told a reporter about fleeing her home in a refugee camp after Israeli soldiers started bulldozing it. Such destructive actions were condemned worldwide, and the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution ordering Israel to withdraw from Palestinian territory. But President Bush, who is leading his own war on terror This article is about U.S. actions, and those of other states, after September 11, 2001. For other conflicts, see Terrorism. The War on Terror (also known as the War on Terrorism , expressed support for Israeli actions. "I fully understand Israel's need to defend herself [against suicide bombers]," Bush said. Withdraw "Without Delay" Bush's statement backfired. Protests against Israel and the U.S. erupted in Europe and in Arab nations in the Middle East. Bush will need the support of those nations in any action the U.S. takes against Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (born April 28, 1937, Tikrit, Iraq—died Dec. 30, 2006, Baghdad) President of Iraq (1979–2003). He joined the Ba'th Party in 1957. Following participation in a failed attempt to assassinate Iraqi Pres. . The U.S. is dependant on Adj. 1. dependant on - determined by conditions or circumstances that follow; "arms sales contingent on the approval of congress" contingent on, contingent upon, dependant upon, dependent on, dependent upon, depending on, contingent Middle East oil. Bush reversed course and ordered Israel to withdraw from Palestinian territories This article is about the Palestinian territories as a geopolitical phenomenon. For more on their geography, demographics and general history, see West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Palestinian territories "without delay." After refusing, Sharon agreed, at least in part. Meanwhile, Bush called on Arafat and all Arabs to publicly condemn terrorism. He also sent Secretary of State Colin Powell to serve as a mediator in the troubled region. While many people fear that peace will never come to the Middle East, Bush remains optimistic: "In our lifetime, we have seen the end of conflicts that no one thought could end. Peace is possible when we break free of patterns of violence and hatred." |
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