Bomb Kills At Least 13

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TEL AVIV: A suicide bomber blew himself up Monday in a crowd in downtown Tel Aviv, extending the worst spasm of terrorism in Israel's history. At least 13 people were killed and 109 others were injured. Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attack, which is the fourth terror incident in Israel in the past nine days. It comes one day after a suicide bombing aboard a Jerusalem bus. The recent spate of attacks increases the pressure on Prime Minister Shimon Peres to restore a sense of security among Israelis before the May 29 elections. Peres' once sizable lead over conservative Likud rival BenjaminNetanyahu has eroded amid the recent violence; polls released before the two latest attacks showed them in a dead heat. "The effect on Peres will be devastating," TIME's Lisa Beyer reports. "I wouldn't be surprised if he were 15 points behind in the next poll. He has not inspired confidence in people." For his part, Netanyahu's reaction has so far been low key. He has asked Israelis to support the government. "He is exploiting the situation politically, but in a sophisticated way," Beyer said. The mood around Israel has been less controlled. Israeli demonstrators have been seen shouting "Yigal Amir" and "Peres is next" -- references to former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's confessed assassin. Likkud's recent rise in the polls has been good news for Hamas, notes TIME's Jamil Hamad: "Hamas would love to see the Likkud come to power. It would mean the end of the peace agreement and would provide them with a justification for renewed violence." But should Netanyanhu's party take over, TIME's John Elson says that the fragile peace could shatter. "If Likkud gets in, there is no hope for the peace process. Peres, at least, has the soul of a poet and the legacy of Rabin."

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Hamas Blows Up the Peace ProcessWEST BANK: Monday's bomb attack in Tel Aviv reinforces the fear that the peace process may be virtually dead, a victim of the chilling series of terror incidents. Israel has broken off negotiations with Syria, closed its borders to the West Bank and Gaza, and declared war on Hamas, arresting 380 Hamas militants since February 25. Hamas's goal is the destruction of Israel and the creation of an Islamic state in what is now Israel and the West Bank and Gaza. The fear among Hamas followers is that if Arafat succeeds in securing a secular Palestinian state,their vision will die, and along with it their shot at inheriting the mantle of Palestinian leadership. Increasingly marginalized last year by the rapidly progressing peace talks, Hamas found a rallying point earlier this year when Israel killed master Hamas bombmaker Yehia Ayyash -- known as 'the Engineer' -- by planting a bomb in his mobile telephone. The recent bombings have been done in retaliation for the killing. Hamas seems to be achieving its goal of derailing the Israeli Palestinian peace process. "They want to confuse the Israelis, and they have succeeded," reports TIME's Jamil Hamad. "Every time the Israelis are led to believe this is the last attack, they detonate another bomb. They are involved in a campaign aimed at isolating and cornering Arafat and getting rid of Shimon Peres. It looks like they might succeed." As a result of the recent bombings, Peres is under enormous pressure to crack down on the militants and move slowly on fulfilling the terms of the peace agreement. Arafat is under pressure to control militants in the West Bank and Gaza, while appearing to run an independent Palestinian Authority. This is a difficult feat for Arafat to pull off, when Israel is effectively in control of most of the West Bank and he has so far been reluctant to go head to head with the popular Hamas. "Arafat is being pressured to crack down heavily on Hamas," says Hamad. "But the consequence of such an action could be very dangerous. Hamas will not surrender easily and the Palestinians could well fall into a bloody civil war reminiscent of Lebanon."

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After The Bomb, Diplomatic Fallout Begins