There has just been a terrible attack in Beersheva (B’er Sheva`), involving two busses. They are reporting on the radio at least 15 wounded – these numbers are always underreported at first. I hope Benjamin Kerstein is okay. Beersheva is a small city.
UPDATE: Benjamin is okay, and reporting. The word at the top of his post: pigua`, is an interesting one. The root (p-g-`) is found in the words paga` (v. wound, hurt) and pagia` (vulnerable). It looks like the verbal noun of pigea`, but no such verb exists. It is usually translated as: attack, but there is another word for attack: hatqafa. It actually means something like: an action in which people are wounded, or which is intended to wound people. You wouldn’t use it for a strategic military attack if the goal is not specifically to wound people, e.g. D-Day is an hatqafa, not a pigua`.
UPDATE: Benjamin has a first-hand report. A few months back, I was at the site of a bombing. Though in my case it was several hours later, I too remember most the eerie silence in what is normally a noisy city.
Posted by David Boxenhorn at August 31, 2004 02:19 PM