The untold stories of a bombing

"We may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all -- the APATHY of human beings". Helen Keller

On Monday morning the 29^th January, 2007 a young man wearing a bright red sweatshirt and carrying a backpack walked into a bakery in Eilat, Israel and blew himself up, killing himself and all three Israeli workers in the bakery. Only later in the day would we learn more about the young man and get to hear his mother in Gaza praising his actions and calling for her other sons to follow in his footsteps.

He was 21 and from the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya and was sent to carry out the bombing with the blessing of both his parents. TV cameras showed a crowd of neighbors and friends of the family gathered outside their home shouting, "Muhammad be happy, you will go directly to Heaven".

The morning of the bombing, Muriel, a single mom of three decided to run down to the local bakery to buy some fresh rolls. She realized when she went to pay that she was short just 2.40 shekels (50 cents). Rather than take the rolls, she left them and ran home to get the extra money. As she was walking out the door of her home back to the bakery, she heard a loud explosion. She rushed to see if she could help but was stopped in her tracks by human remains that were splattered all over her car. She ran off down the street terrified, even though she could hear people screaming "someone call an ambulance". She only came to a halt when one of her neighbors grabbed her, held her tight, and repeatedly told her she was safe. She says since the bombing she can't sleep and is still having nightmares. She has told everyone "my life was saved by 2.40 shekels".

Just 5 minutes walk from the very shopping centre where the bombing took place sits a Christian hostel called the "Shelter". Everyone staying and working at the hostel heard the explosion and until now find it hard to believe that a suicide bomber could get so close to their hostel undetected by security forces. It was a major shock to the city. Fortunately Eilat is a holiday town, no one working or staying at the hostel had gone out to do any early morning shopping and were just having a nice lazy start to their day. Their easy going holiday mood saved their lives together with all the prayers and praise that has been given to the Lord in that place...

Three people were not so lucky. All three will be sadly missed by their friends and family. I didn't know them, but I believe that if I just take the time to tell you about them, then apathy will not erase their memory and the devil will not have won the battle to de-sensitize us to the Spiritual war that is raging in the Middle East. I believe it's very important for people to know the names, ages and other details of these young men, in the hope that they will not become just another person somewhere in the Middle East who was killed by a terrorist act.

Emil was 32 years old and was the manager of two bakeries in Eilat. He was married to Keren and they had a two year old daughter. He belonged to one of Eilat's oldest and most well known families. His uncle said "Emil was the pride and joy of our family. Everyone in the city knew him as a man with a very big heart".

Michael was 27 and moved to live in Eilat 4 years ago where he met and married his wife, Shani. They had an eight month old son, and the morning of the bombing he had risen early at 5am to work at the bakery. He returned home at 8.15 to pick up his son to take him to day care. That was the last time his wife and baby would ever see him again. Shani said of Michael " He was clever, an amazing father and a wonderful husband".

Israel (Izzy) was 26 and single. He worked at the bakery owned by Emil and Michael. He was born in Peru and immigrated with his family to Israel. His family could not adjust to life in Israel and went to live in America. He remained in Israel without them deciding to make a life for himself in Eilat. His friend said " Izzy always had a smile and a cheerful personality, I will miss him".

APATHY is simply choosing to be indifferent, or as spoken of in the book of Revelation 3:15 "I know your deeds, that you were neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!" I have lived through years and years of terror and I have not grown indifferent to the pictures of grieving mothers and children. Every death makes me more determined to challenge the growing indifference shown to victims of terror, taking hold in society here and world wide. We cannot and must not allow evil to defeat us, we must stand up and be counted. Please take time to remember the families of Emil, Michael and Israel, remember Muriel and her nightmares together with every believer that was kept safe in the hostel down the street from the bombing. Remember too the parents and siblings of the suicide bomber, who knows, maybe God can meet them just like he did Saul on the road to Damascus. The devil wants to rob Israel of its hope and its promises but I believe with all my heart that one day the words of Isaiah will ring true "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like a flooding stream" Isaiah 66:12