Day of tragedy

In memory of the school children

Dreadful disaster this morning as 10 school children were killed and 30 others wounded when their school bus was ploughed through by a truck. They came from a school in the village of Anata (Old Testament Anatoth where the prophet Jeremiah lived). The rains were heavy and the wind was very strong. And sadly drivers continue to heedlessly rush in bad weather, killing innocent people. Everyone in the country is shocked.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/10-killed-as-palestinian-children-s-bus-truck-collide-near-jerusalem-1.413257 and http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=258066 and  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17057579  And then, there were comments of satisfaction that only Palestinians were killed, and some other outright racist comments - all posted on the PM's facebook  http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/after-jerusalem-crash-racist-comments-appear-on-netanyahu-s-facebook-page-1.413370

And in the wake of terrorist attacks on Israeli diplomats in Georgia, India and Thailand, local newspapers have now revealed that an assassination plot on Israeli Defense Minister when he visited Singapore was foiled last week. http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=258077

The weather is getting from bad to worse ... and forecast for Jerusalem this weekend is snow. It'll drop to 1 degree.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=258075  Today there's heavy snowfall up in the north, while strong winds and rain batter the south. Not good for tourists but locals are grateful for the rain. However we hope there'll be no more accidents.

Gaza's fuel has run out and there is no electricity nor heating this weekend when freezing weather overcomes the region. I hope the heat-packs are sufficient for our poor christians in there, as well as dynamo-charged torchlights. I haven't had any word from Mother Teresa's sisters living in there.

And as if things are black enough, now we have news that the ultra-orthodox jewish push for segregation of the sexes in public places have hit a high note when the guest of honour at a Conference on Child Safety - the Deputy Health Minister no less - walked out when a girls' choir began to sing.  http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/ultra-orthodox-israeli-minister-walks-out-on-girls-choir-at-child-safety-conference-1.413184