Bombed Israeli Bus on Display at Duke Oct. 12-13

Bus 19, an Israeli bus that was the target of a suicide bomber earlier this year, will be on display Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 12 and 13, on the Main Quad of Duke University's West Campus.

The memorial exhibit, sponsored by Chabad, a Jewish campus organization, occurs just days before the start at Duke of the three-day national convention of the Palestine Solidarity Movement (PSM). The PSM describes itself as a diverse group of students, activists and community members organized to "promote peace, justice and human rights for the Palestinian people."

The decision by the university to allow some of its students to host the 2004 PSM conference has sparked extensive discussion on campus and more widely. Duke has been criticized by some for agreeing to host the conference and praised by others for promoting free speech. The university has established a Web site for up-to-date information about the conference.

Bus 19 was blown up shortly before 9 a.m. Jan. 29, 2004, by a suicide bomber who detonated the explosives strapped to his body. The blast, in the heart of Jerusalem, killed 11 people and wounded more than 50 others.

The Bus 19 exhibit first traveled to the International Court of Justice at The Hague before being brought to the United States.

"Its display at Duke reflects students' pride and solidarity with the people of Israel and the sorrow for the victims and their families," said Rabbi Zalman Bluming, executive director of Chabad at Duke. "It also conveys students' condemnation of the ruthless tactics that have been used by Israel's neighbors in this conflict to derail the possibility of peace."

Bus 19 is scheduled to be on display from 8 a.m. Tuesday until 6 p.m. Wednesday. A candlelight ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to remember the victims of Bus 19. The exhibit is being supported by Jewish Grads for Israel.