Millions of American families engaged in the morning ritual of getting our children off to school today. We rushed looking for lost textbooks, forgotten lunch bags, and fought to overcome inevitable morning traffic jams. But none of us had to contend with the horror that once again confronted the parents of Jerusalem as their children were slaughtered by another Palestinian homicide bomber.
The number 20 bus was packed with Israelis this morning, including students on their way to school, when Nael Abu Hilayel boarded the bus on his murderous mission. When the fire and smoke cleared, children could be heard calling out for their "mama." Eleven people were killed and at least 40 wounded.
There are early reports that some of the wounded suffered unusual burns, raising concerns that some type of chemical was used in the attack. Previous bombers have coated their shrapnel with rat poison, which makes it difficult to stop victims from bleeding.
The dead had not yet been completely identified when Hamas rushed to take "credit" for the attack and issued a statement saying, "We confirm the path of jihad and martyrdom is continuing in every part of our occupied land as long as there is occupation..." Hamas is not referring to the West Bank or Gaza. To these murderous thugs all of Israel is "occupied" and nothing short of driving the Jews into the sea will satisfy them. Truly these are Hitler's sons.
The Silence
What happens now is not hard to predict. The elites in diplomatic circles have an uncanny ability to restrain their outrage when it comes to slaughtered Jews. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan will issue a suitable milquetoast statement, but there will be no emergency session of the U.N. Security Council as routinely happens when Israel defends itself. The peace activists on college campuses throughout Europe and the United States will not pour into the streets in protest of these civilian deaths. The European Union will not announce an economic boycott of the Muslim countries that subsidize Hamas, Hezbollah and the other terror groups. They are too busy placing sanctions on Israel! And, even here in Washington, D.C., Colin Powell and the State Department will pen a few words of sympathy while they continue to feverishly work on ways to pressure Israel to make peace with murderers and undermine the efforts to remove Saddam Hussein from power.
A Bloody Day
The carnage in Jerusalem is only part of radical Islam's "accomplishments" today. An American missionary (a woman no less) was shot in the head and killed in Syrian-occupied Lebanon at the infirmary where she worked. Two U.S. soldiers were shot in Kuwait by a Kuwaiti policeman. There have been bombings in India and Nigeria linked to what the media calls Islamic "militants."
Can anyone really doubt that there is a world war raging that cannot be won with worthless treaties or politically correct self-delusion, but can only be won, as wars always are, with courage, confidence and sacrifice? The civilization we defend, built on a foundation of Judeo-Christian morality, must prevail against the Islamic fundamentalism that hates us for what we do right, not for what we have done wrong.
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