JERUSALEM, Israel -ÊThe explosion was deafening.

Debris flew through the air, the front of the bus was blown open and the stench of burning flesh filled the air.

Again, last Wednesday, Jerusalem was the scene of a homicide bombing that took 16 lives and injured more than 100.

I had just settled down to a meal at a restaurant just off Jaffa Road in central Jerusalem with my friend, Mike Luddeni, when the bomb exploded. I was just a short distance away and could feel the impact of the bomb.

People all around me just stopped and stood still. The silence was eerie. But in moments the horrific screams of the injured and onlookers echoed through the streets, and the impact was chilling.

According to investigators, the bomber boarded Egged bus No. 14 about 5:30 p.m. dressed like a haredi (ultra-orthodox) Jew. This allowed him to conceal the explosives beneath his long black coat.

He let the bus move a few feet, then detonated the bomb.

That bus passed just 50 feet from my table moments before the blast - a sobering reminder of the real dangers of living in this city.

Izzadin al-Kassam, the militant wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility.

Palestinian sources identified the terrorist as Muhammad Shababi, 20, from Hebron.

He was a member of the Kawasmeh gang in Hebron that was responsible for a number of the attacks, including the May 18 bus bombing in Jerusalem's French Hill neighborhood that killed seven. In that case, the bomber also was dressed like a haredi Jew.

I did not run to the scene, remembering that terrorists in the past had set secondary bombs that exploded after a large crowd had gathered at such a site.

These bombs were detonated by cell phones, which has prompted the Israeli government to cut off all cell phone service immediately after one of these bomb blasts.

Driver rescued

Amazingly, the driver of the bus survived the blast.

Yisrael Peretz, an Israel Defense Force veteran who is an amputee, said he saw the bus from his porch on Jaffa Road and leaped down two floors to the street to help.

"The driver was trying to extricate himself. I jumped from my porch and went to help him. Together with another person, we managed to get him out through the window. He was in shock and couldn't talk," Peretz said.

"A woman passerby climbed into the bus and began pouring milk that she was carrying onto the fire in an attempt to put it out. Later, someone else found a fire extinguisher on the bus and started to put out the flames."

It took the Zaka rescue teams only moments to respond, and the air was quickly filled with screaming sirens of ambulances from all over the city.

I saw one young Israeli teenage boy sitting along the street and as he sobbed uncontrollably, he told us that he had seen two decapitated bodies in the front of the bus.

Body parts were strewn over a one-block area.

The bomb contained screws and bolts, which were designed to maximize the human carnage.

Among some of the onlookers, shock turned into rage. One man, swinging a black shirt into the air, shouted, "Death to the Arabs" and "Revenge now."

What does it mean?

Such homicide bombings have become a way of life in Israel simply because organizations like Hamas, Islamic Jihaad and Hizbolah refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist as a nation.

They have consistently and successfully undermined the efforts of many American presidents to craft a peace plan that would allow a Palestinian state and Israel to exist side by side.

During the 11 archaeological expeditions on which I have participated in both Israel and Jordan, I have had both Arabs and Israelis tell me that until these terrorist groups are eliminated, peace is not possible in the region.

I am convinced they are right.

No 50 Colin Powells can change the raw fact that these terrorist organizations have a strong foothold in the West Bank and have committed themselves to the destruction of the state of Israel.

They are not the least bit interested in discussions that will lead to peace.

Somehow, this reality gets lost with each new president that visits the Middle East.

Every accord and peace effort has been blown to smithereens by snipers, bombers and terrorists generally.

My heart aches for both Arabs and Israelis with whom I have worked since I began archaeological research in 1963. Radical elements are depriving both peoples of peaceful living in a secure environment.

Where do we go from here?

Certainly diplomatic efforts must continue. Every peaceful attempt at a solution is worthwhile, but somewhere along the line, terrorists must be removed as a factor in the equation.

Until then, my Israeli friend Jacob said in Hebrew, "Shae'lu shalom yerusalayim."

Translated, it admonishes everyone to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem." [[In-content Ad]]