"i used to be opposed to the security fence

ul. 11, 2004 11:40 | Updated Jul. 11, 2004 13:24
'I used to be against the fence, now I'm for it'
By YAAKOV KATZ


Sami Mcarah, a 29-year-old Arab Israeli resident of Jaffo got off a bus at Tel Aviv's old bus station just minutes before a bomb went off on Sunday that killed one woman and injured 30 others.

"I used to be opposed to the security fence, but now I support it, and I'm going to start a foundation to support the fence's construction" Mcarah told Israel Radio.

"The terrorist had no intention just to hurt Jews, but he went out to kill as many people as possible. The Palestinians are stupid for what they're doing, they're not achieving anything and in the end they will only turn us Israeli Arabs against them," said Mcarah.

Mcarah, wounded by shrapnel to his leg, said he rushed over to a woman he saw on the ground and tried to help her. He said he took her pulse but she was already dead, "The images in my head will never go away, although I feel lucky that I have a new life after surviving the second terror attack."

The attack is the second one Mcarah has been through. In 1995, Mcarah got off the number 5 bus on Dizingoff street just seconds before it was blown up by a suicide bomber.

Mcarah is the chairman of a non profit organization called Equal Peace, that works toward creating equality between Arabs and Jews.

He is married with 2 children and is a Chef at a restaurant near the old bus station where Sunday's attack took place.