Israel Awareness Update
November 22, 2002
By: Jeff Iken, Natick USY Israel Affairs VP

There has been much violence in Israel recently.  There was a bus bombing the other day killing 11 people and 
injuring more than 50 others.  The Palestinian government say that the suicide bomber was justified for what he 
did because of the Israeli oppression.

Also, two Israeli citizens were wounded Friday afternoon when their car was hit with stones being thrown on a 
road north of Hebron.  The car was overturned following the stone throwing.  In relation to that, two border 
policemen were injured by a group of Palestinians throwing stones.  They were only lightly injured.  There have 
also been a number of small explosions near soldiers in locations around the Israeli border.

The United States has proposed to increase military assistance for Israel.  For the 2003 fiscal year the United 
States is giving Israel $2.04 billion in military aid. The proposed $2.16 billion for fiscal year 2004 is separate from 
U.S. economic support to Israel, which the countries have agreed will decrease and eventually disappear by 
2008, with a proportionate raise in military assistance.