A Daily Analysis
By Marc Schulman

February 4, 2008- Suicide Bomber in Dimona

Today, the Palestinians successfully launched a suicide bombing in Israel, for the first time in a year. This time it was the negev city of Dimona, who has escaped any suicide bombing until now. All the initial suspicion was directed to suicide bombers who came from Gaza via the open border with Sinai. Hamas claims the bomber came from the Hebron area, possible (since the fence is not finished in that area), but less likely. The fact that a videotape was released with the wrong bomber on it, seems to indicate that more than one group of bombers was dispatched from GazaÖ and the Palestinians did not know which bomber successfully infiltrated Israel until Israeli TV showed pictures of one of the bombers before he was shot. By then, it was too late, whether the other bombers have made it into Israel, or were caught by the Egyptians in Sinai is not clear.
Israeli TV also showed rather graphic video today, of the police shooting the second bomber who was hurt when the first bomb went off. The bomber who had explosives strapped to his belt, was trying to set off a second bomb, when a policeman shot him in the head three time while being filmed.
The Knesset debated the Winograd report today. Olmert responded to the criticism in a speech. The speech will be best known for the hecklers (who were grieving families) who interrupted the speech. Olmert gave one of the most infuriating speeches I have ever heard. He might have given a conciliatory speech admitting mistakes and asking for forgiveness. Instead he gave a speech in which he said he had the ultimate responsibility for what happened. He went on to defend his actions, stating that knowing what we know today, he would have made the same decisions he made that fateful summer again. He further went on to attack his critics, claiming that they were being disingenuous. It was a very hard speech to listen to, and could clearly make some really despise the man.