BLUE ASH — The mayor of Netanya, the Israeli tourist city rocked by 12 suicide bombings since 2000, began a three-day trip to Cincinnati by accepting the key to her sister city on the Ohio.

        Miriam Fierberg then spoke at a Blue Ash press conference, expressing a vigilance against terrorism and heartbreak for the devastation it causes.

        “The suicide bombers knew they were going to kill children, the elderly, men, women,” she said at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati in Blue Ash, joined by a delegation of Israeli social leaders. “To kill, to murder. Nothing else.”

        On March 27, a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up at a Passover seder, killing 28 Jews ranging in age from 20 to 90. The militant group Hamas claimed responsibility.

        The timing was not a coincidence. It came just a few hours after President Bush said his peace envoy to the Mideast was making progress. He later called the mass murder “cold-blooded.”

        A month later, a group of local rabbis and Jews gathered at the Hillel Student Center in Clifton. They prayed around 28 table settings, each adorned with a photo of a victim.

        "This is an opportunity to learn from the Israeli experience,” said Rabbi Michael Zedek, CEO of the federation, which is sponsoring Mayor Fierberg's trip.

        The mayor spoke on a wide range of issues:

        • On Palestinian leader Yassar Arafat: “Of course, he's responsible for the attacks. He can't say he's a leader and not responsible. You can't dance on both sides.”

        • On Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory: “If we negotiate, we will find a way to live together.”

        • On American security: “Three years ago, I flew from Atlanta to New York. It was nice. Yesterday, I flew from New York to Cincinnati, I felt so bad to have them look through shoes, clothes, everything. This is what the world pays.”

        • On her first trip to Cincinnati: “The river, the bridges, the houses. So many people, black and white together. It is very nice.”

        Her schedule today includes visits to Hebrew Union College and Cincinnati Museum Center.

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