Bombing culprits will be traced: Arafat

It was the second suicide bombing since the signing of the land-for-security accord two weeks ago. On October 29, an activist from the radical group Hamas killed himself and an Israeli soldier when he tried to ram an explosives-rigged car into a bus carrying Jewish schoolchildren. Hamas claimedresponsibility for yesterday’s attack, but Palestinian security officials blamed members of the militant Islamic Jihad.

Arafat called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express his sorrow over yesterday’s bombing, but Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli leader told Arafat that for the peace process to continue, the Palestinians would have to significantly step up their war against terrorists.

Israel’s cabinet, which was meeting at the time of the attack, cut short its debate on ratifying the accord, and did not set a date for resuming it. The Palestinian cabinet condemned the attack following its own meeting last night, but said Israel should not use it as an excuse to halt the peace process.

The US State Department meanwhile acknowledged today that there would be a “short pause” in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process following the car bomb attack. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told Netanyahu in a telephone conversation today that she understood the Israeli decision to suspend debate onapproving the agreement.