on uncertainity

I was invited to the New Year (Rosh Shana) dinner by E. The dinner was in Rehovot, but we were returning to Arad where E lives. On the way back we noticed several lights shining in the sky. E thought they were helicopters flying in formation, but it was too bright and unblinking. Then we realised that the lights were hovering above the general direction of the territories. We drove a long way in the dead of the night, looking at the flares. As soon as one dimmed out, another or two took its place. E was sure something had happened to warrant all this activity. Sure enough when they turned on the news, there was some incident in Ashqelon, and the flares were in response to the incident. Probably they were trying to cut off the escape route. We took the route to Arad, and the road was strangely deserted on the right side: everybody was returning from Arad, nobody was going towards Arad. An ambulance passed us. Then one more. Yet another. All lights flashing and heading full speed. We were sure something had happened but we didnt know what or when. Just the sight of all those ambulances brought on a cloak of uncertainty.

I usually refrain from making comments on the situation in Israel, but the last terrorist attack in Haifa was terrible. I heard about it on the bus while returning from the trip to the north. There is something too random about this kind of violence; unseeing in its scope. The restaurant that was targetted was hitherto a model of Israeli-Arab coexistence.