Just a little reminder of why I am studying what I am studying...

Today there was a terrorist attack in the center of Jerusalem. So far there are around 30 people injured and one casualty. The information is coming in quickly (and in some cases inaccurately). As of now the police think that the blast was caused by a medium-sized explosive device that was attached to a pole close to a buss stop near the central bus station.

My neighborhood yarkan (greengrocer) said "Eh, this is a small attack. Sadly, we have had enough attacks that any attack where no one dies is a small attack." That was before the 59 year old woman died.

For more information please see:
CNN, JPost, YNet

It is especially irritating when you read press releases like this one:

Abbas condemns blast, IDF

Where Abbas denounces the attack AND Israeli military operations in Gaza that resulted in 3 civilian casualties. This puts these two actions on the same platform and that is inappropriate. At least Abbas and Fayyad realize that their cause is harmed and undermined by these terrorist acts.

In other news, today two Grad rockets hit the Southern city of Beersheva. YNet. One of my classmates lives in Beersheva and she woke up to air raid sirens this morning.

I will be going to Jerusalem this weekend to see some friends that are in town for the marathon. It crossed my mind for about ten seconds that maybe I shouldn't go. But then I remembered that life must go on and no terrorist is going to keep me out of Jerusalem.