Cpl. Rotem Weinberger

Dec 25, 2003 - Cpl. Rotem Weinberger, 19, of Kfar Sava was one of four people killed in a suicide bombing at a bus stop at the Geha Junction, east of Tel Aviv, near Petah Tikva.

The suicide bombing took place during the busy evening rush hour. The bomber, carrying a medium-sized bomb, approached the bus stop at the Geha Junction at about 6:30 P.M. and blew himself up, killing two people immediately and mortally wounding a third, who died en route to the hospital. A fourth person, who was seriously injured, died in the hospital a few hours later. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for the attack.

Rotem Weinberger attended the Katznelson High School in Kfar Sava and began her army service nine months ago. She served in an artillery unit in the north, but was transfered to the Tel Hashomer Signal Corps a month ago so that she would be closer to home and could spend more time with family and friends. She had stayed late to attend a party for one of the officers and was killed while waiting with a friend for the bus home.

Rotem's mother, Talia, said that her daughter had been afraid to ride buses since the 1996 bombings when she was a child. As a result, her mother often picked her up from the base. Her friend, Hen, said that Rotem was scared to death of being caught in a terrorist attack, and was always sure never to ride a bus alone. The two were very close and often spoke dozens of times on the phone during the day. On Thursday, they spoke five times, making plans to meet later at the mall.

Her friends, Hen and Hadas, spoke at her funeral: "We can still hear your voice in our heads, your smile will remain in our hearts. You were so happy of late, particularly with your great love for Ofer, who loved you so much. You never stopped talking about him. You always knew what you wanted. You were so sure of yourself. You had everything planned out for the future. You dreamed of your release from the army and the trip you would take with Ofer."

Cpl. Rotem Weinberger was buried in the Kfar Sava military cemetery. She is survived by her mother Talia, her brother Shlomi, 23, and sister Adi, 6.