The U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv has prohibited its personnel from riding the Jerusalem light rail train from French Hill to Pisgat Ze’ev, in northern Jerusalem, for 30 days because of the terrorist attack this week that killed a three-year-old American-Israeli.
It was a typical U.S. Embassy reaction – every time there is a serious terrorist attack, it prohibits its staffs from the vicinity.
The policy is not restricted only to areas that the Obama administration wants Israel to turn over to the Palestinian Authority The U.S. Embassy previously has ordered workers not to ride the buses in Tel Aviv after a terrorist tried to blow up a local bus last year.
Israelis have suffered terrorist attacks for decades, long before the country was re-established in 1948. Whether there are terrorist attacks between a period of quiet or whether there are periods of quiet between terrorist attacks depends on whether the glass of water is half-full or half-empty.
It is reasonable that the Embassy does not want to see its workers injured or killed. It is not reasonable to worry about terrorist attacks after they happen and then suggest that after 30 days, the all-clear signal may be given.
It makes as much sense as the U.S. State Dept.’s foreign policy.