Israelis, whose climate has often been compared to that of Southern California, were trying to take in stride today the damage and disruptions caused by the worst snow and wind storms to hit the country in more than a decade.
Members of the Knesset (Parliament) who had to walk to the Knesset building this afternoon because public transportation was still suspended, expressed shock at the extent to which public services were thrown into disarray by the storm. Whole quarters of the city remained without electricity, water or telephones. Fallen trees blocked traffic and many buildings were without heat because of the electric power failure. Late in the day, some busses began running.
Meanwhile, floodwaters from melting snow caused rock slides that blocked a recently completed 4-lane section of the Tel-Aviv-Jerusalem highway which had only just been cleared of snow. As a result, the highway was alternately opened and closed to traffic during the day.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
