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THE JEWISH AGENCY AND REPRESENTATIVES OF WORLD JEWRY SUPPORT VICTIMS Sharon: "Israel-Diaspora Relations an Unshakable Bond of Brotherhood: No Stranger Can Understand This"
 Smile and tears - Israel 2002: Singing at the Congress opening and donating blood for the victims of terror Nineteen people were killed and 70 were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated himself at close to 7:45 AM, June 18, on a crowded city bus near the neighborhood of Gilo. Many of the passengers were students on their way to school. The blast completely destroyed the bus, leaving only a burnt-out shell. The next day, Wednesday, June 19, another suicide bomber blew himself up at 7 PM near a crowded bus stop at the French Hill Junction. Six people were killed and 30 were injured. The Prime Minister, the Mayor of Jerusalem, the Minister of Defense, and the Minister of Health arrived immediately at the scenes of the attacks. During the day, the cabinet held feverish discussions and decided upon severe retaliatory measures. Many delegates, headed by Jewish Agency Chairman, Sallai Meridor, Executive Vice-Chairman of the Conference of Presidents, Malcolm Hoenlein, and President of Hadassah, Bonnie Lipton, visited the wounded in the hospitals. The attacks occurred on the day after the festive opening of the 34th Zionist Congress in Jerusalem. The 1,500 delegates to the Congress discussed ways of fighting anti-Semitism, strengthen Jewish settlement, encourage aliyah, and strengthen the Jewish and democratic character of the State of Israel. Various sessions at the Congress and the Jewish Assembly that followed immediately thereafter, focused on these topics. The murderous attacks in Jerusalem cast a shadow on the meetings and the delegates from abroad expressed their sympathy through various resolutions calling for solidarity with the victims, as well as with donations of blood to Magen David Adom, which stationed a special bloodmobile at the International Congress Center - Binyanei HaOoma. Many of the delegates attended the funerals. During the Congress, the delegates marked Aliyah Day by welcoming hundreds of new immigrants from throughout the world at Ben Gurion Airport, and by visiting absorption centers. The Congress concluded on June 20 with the laying of a cornerstone for a new settlement, Yitspor, along the seam line on Mount Gilboa. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told the Congress delegates "It is not circumstance that anti-Semitism is expressing itself in terror attacks in Israel parallel to attacks on Jews in the Diaspora. He emphasized that the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora is an unshakable bond of brotherhood: "It is brotherly love, one heart and mutual concern, because 'all of Israel are responsible for each other.' No stranger can understand this. I salute the Jewish mobilization on behalf of Israel, and the growing aliyah, particularly aliyah from Argentina!"
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