A terrorist attack was averted Tuesday night near the main highway between Hadera, Afula and Beit She'an, immediately south of the Galilee in northern Israel and next to the Arab city of Umm el-Fahm, headquarters of the northern branch of the radical Islamic Movement.
Two pipe bombs were discovered at the bus stop on the Nachal Iron Road (Highway 65) in Wadi Ara, near the entrance to the community of Mei Ami.
Passersby and residents noticed the suspicious-looking and apparently “abandoned” packages and quickly alerted the police. It was determined the explosives were intended to injure vehicles on the road, or residents of the community itself.
A large police detail that included several sappers raced to the scene in order to defuse the bombs. Highway 65 was immediately closed to traffic in both directions from the Umm el Fahm junction to Mei Ami. Drivers were asked to avoid the area in news broadcasts until the bombs could be defused and removed.
The protocol is common practice in Israel whenever a suspicious package is identified – and such scenes have become a part of daily life in the Jewish State.
Although tourists and newcomers are deeply impressed and occasionally frightened by the incidents, in general the average Israeli simply moves on with the rest of his day, happy that the police and sappers now have robots who get close to the bomb instead of them, when that is possible. Some express annoyance at the inconvenience caused by the interruptions and delays in daily routine – others appreciate the miracle that occurs each time a bomb is discovered and defused in time to prevent a major tragedy.