Every year around this time, Jews celebrate a holiday called Purim. It is a happy occasion honoring good Queen Esther, who stopped an evil plan to kill the Jews of long ago. But last Tuesday on Purim, many kids felt sad and scared instead of joyful. Terrorist bombers had hurt innocent people in Israel again.
One bomb struck on Sunday, killing 19 people in Jerusalem. The next day, a bomb went off outside a mall in Tel Aviv. It killed 14 people, including the bomber, and injured 157 others.
These attacks and two others a week earlier were the work of Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group. Hamas opposes the peace process between the Palestinians and Israel.
The attacks made Israelis furious. Some called for war. Others were angry at Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres. Instead of making peace, they said, Peres should be fighting the Palestinians.
But such anger is just what Hamas had hoped for, according to Mohamed Abu Warda, a Hamas member arrested by Palestinian officials last week. He said that the attacks were meant to turn Israelis against the peace process and against Peres, who is up for re-election in May.
Peres ordered Israeli troops to find and arrest all Hamas terrorists. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat promised to work with Israel to capture the terrorists. Even some leaders of Hamas called for an end to the bombings. It is not clear, however, if Hamas can control its own terrorists.
At a children's clubhouse near Tel Aviv, kids gathered to talk about the bombings. Most longed for peace. "If Hamas cannot stop the peace process, maybe they will join it," said one Israeli girl, Ofira Sprinzak, 9, hopefully.
President Clinton is meeting this week in Egypt with world leaders to discuss peace in the Middle East. "The U.S. has always stood with the people of Israel," says Clinton, "through good times and bad." Last week it was the worst of times.