Suicide Bombings No Longer Create Stir

Suicide bombings no longer seem to have the power of disruption that Muslim militants intend to provoke.

The latest deadly blast on a Jerusalem city bus failed to set off large anti-government rallies in Israel or even the usual triumphant marches by Palestinian hard-liners in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli and PLO peace negotiators broke off talks just long enough to allow for burial of the dead, a marked contrast to the lengthy suspensions after previous attacks.

And, rather than open-ended travel bans as before, Israel said it was sealing off the West Bank and Gaza Strip for only two days, although the West Bank closure was extended for another day Tuesday.

Although Israelis are privately outraged, everyone appeared in a hurry to get back to business - a sign that suicide bombings are becoming part of the Israeli landscape.

“These mass attacks have become routine,” the Maariv daily wrote in an editorial. “The whole issue has turned into some sort of ritual, like lighting torches on Mount Herzl on Independence Day.”