International | Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire

After the Tel Aviv suicide-bomb

Sharon and Arafat drew back from all-out war, but remain on the brink

|jerusalem

“RESTRAINT is strength,” proclaimed Ariel Sharon on June 3rd at a Tel Aviv hospital where dozens of teenagers lay injured after the suicide-bombing at a beach-front discotheque on June 1st. This is not a philosophy that Israel's prime minister has notably espoused during his long and turbulent career in the army and in politics. But the very enormity of the attack, which killed 20 young Israelis, may have provided the shock that Israel and the Palestinians needed to draw back from the brink of all-out war.

This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “After the Tel Aviv suicide-bomb”

Mr Bush goes to Europe

From the June 9th 2001 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from International

An illustration showing a wireframe globe vertically divided in two halves by a red chain. On the left side are clouds and on the right are red cargo ships with the stars of the china flag on the stern.

Xi Jinping swings his “assassin’s mace” of economic warfare

China is weaponising its supply chains, but risks blowback if it goes too far

An illustration of Trump looking dissatisfied with his arms crossed. Several hands reach out and offer him ice cream, cash, flowers and gifts.

Allies will not appease Donald Trump for ever

If Trump convinces partners that the post-1945 order really is dead, things will get ugly


An illustration showing a couple holding a baby together. Through a window behind them a woman can be seen in a hospital bed and a doctor is closing the blinds.

As adoptions collapse, demand for international surrogacy is soaring

Yet it is facing a growing backlash from religious conservatives and some feminists


A big, beautiful Trump deal with China?

Washington hawks puzzle over calls for China to help in Ukraine, and hints of a possible TikTok reprieve

Why don’t more countries import their electricity? 

The economics make sense, but the geopolitics are nerve-racking

Trump unmasks American selfishness, say cynics

But sceptics are wrong to call America First business as usual