Maxim restaurant suicide bombing

Maxim restaurant suicide bombing
Part of the Second Intifada militancy campaign
Maxim restaurant, 2009
The attack site
Location	Haifa, Israel
Coordinates	32°48′46″N 34°57′20″E / 32.81278°N 34.95556°E / 32.81278; 34.95556
Date	October 4, 2003
Attack type	suicide bombing
Death(s)	21 civilians (and 1 bomber)
Injured	51
Perpetrator(s)	1 Palestinian terrorist (Hanadi Jaradat). Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Maxim restaurant suicide bombing was a suicide bombing which occurred on October 4, 2003 in the beachfront "Maxim" restaurant in Haifa, Israel. 21 people were killed in the attack and 51 were injured. Among the victims were two families and four children, including a two-month-old baby.

The restaurant, which is located at the seafront near the southern boundary of the city of Haifa, was frequently attended by both Arab and Jewish local populations, and was widely seen as a symbol of peaceful coexistence in Haifa.

Militant organization Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack. It was condemned by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. The restaurant's interior was completely destroyed by the blast (it was completely rebuilt seven months after the attack).

Background

The Maxim restaurant is a beachfront restaurant located near the south entry to Haifa. It is co-owned by Jews and Christian Arabs, and is known for being a symbol of co-existence. The restaurant is also the favorite dining place of the famous Israeli football club Maccabi Haifa.

The attack

Oren Almog, who was ten years old at time of the bombing, was blinded by the blast, lost two of his grandparents, his father, his brother and his cousin. ^[1]

On October 4, 2003, the 28-year-old Palestinian suicide bomber Hanadi Jaradat detonated the explosive belt she was wearing inside the Arab-Jewish Maxim restaurant in Haifa. 21 Israelis, Jews and Arabs were killed, and 51 others were wounded.^[2] The bomb included metal fragments packed around the explosive core, that sprayed around the restaurant, maximizing lethal effect.^[3] According to Haifa police sources, the aftermath was gruesome, with some of the dead still sitting upright at their tables, while others, including children and babies, were slammed against the walls. Due to the force of the explosion, all that remained of Jaradat was her head.^[3]

Among the victims were two families and four children, including a two-month-old baby. Three Maccabi Haifa officials were lightly injured in the bombing.

Fatalities

The memorial built near the restaurant, in memory of the victims of the attack

Five members of the Almog family: Commander (res.) Ze'ev Almog, 71, of Haifa[4][5] Ruth Almog, 70, of Haifa[6] Moshe Almog, 43, of Haifa[7] Tomer Almog, 9, of Haifa[8] Assaf Staier, 11, of Haifa[9] Five members of the Zer-Aviv family: Brurua Zer-Aviv, 59, of Kibbutz Yagur[10] Bezalel Zer-Aviv, 30, of Kibbutz Yagur[11] Keren Zer-Aviv, 29, of Kibbutz Yagur[12] Liran Zer-Aviv, 4, of Kibbutz Yagur[13] Noya Zer-Aviv, 1, of Kibbutz Yagur[14]

Nir Regev, 25, of Nahariya[15] Zvi Bahat, 35, of Haifa[16] Mark Biano, 29, of Haifa[17] Naomi Biano, 25, of Haifa[18] Hana Francis, 39, of Fassuta, head waiter.[19] Sharbal Matar, 23, of Fassuta, waiter[20] Mutanus Karkabi, 31, of Haifa, security guard[21] Osama Najar, 28, of Haifa, cook[22] Irena Sofrin, 38, of Kiryat Bialik[23] Lydia Zilberstein, 56, of Haifa, died of her injuries on October 9[24] George Matar, 58, of Haifa, died of his injuries on October 15[25]

The perpetrator

Main article: Hanadi Jaradat

The suicide bomber, 28-year-old Hanadi Jaradat from Jenin, (Arabic: هنادي تيسير عبدالمالك جردات‎) was the sixth female suicide bomber of the Al-Aqsa Intifada and the second woman recruited by Islamic Jihad.^[26]

When she was 21, her fiance had been killed by Israeli security forces.^[27] At the time of her suicide bombing, Jaradat was a law student due to qualify as a lawyer in a few weeks. According to a story in Ha'aretz, based on Arab media and interviews with Israeli and Arab sources, she agreed to the bombing after Israel Defense Forces undercover operatives in Jenin killed her cousin (Salah, 34), who was wanted by Israel, and her younger brother (Fadi, 25), who was not, in their home, before her eyes, the evening before her brother's wedding. Both her cousin and younger brother were accused by Israeli forces of being Islamic Jihad operatives, with her cousin being considered to be a senior member of the Al-Quds Brigades group.^[28]

In response to his daughter's actions, her father Taisir declined all condolences, instead saying that he was proud of what his daughter had done, and that "I will accept only congratulations for what she did. This was a gift she gave me, the homeland and the Palestinian people."^[29]

Israeli response

The day following the suicide bombing, the Israeli Army demolished the home of Jaradat's family, and the homes of two of their neighbors, who were uninvolved in the bombing.^[30] In response to the attack, which Israel claimed was planned in the Damascus headquarters of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an alleged terrorist training camp in Ein-Saheb, Syria was bombed by IAF warplanes. No casualties were reported for this attack.

Official reactions

Involved parties

 Israel: Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon stated that Israel holds Yasser Arafat responsible for the attack.^[31]

 Palestinian territories: Palestinian President Yasser Arafat condemned the suicide bombing^[32]

International

•  USA – U.S. President George W. Bush condemned the attack stating "I condemn unequivocally the vicious act of terrorism committed today in Haifa. This murderous action, aimed at families gathered to enjoy a Sabbath lunch, killed and injured dozens of men, women, and children. This despicable attack underscores once again the responsibility of Palestinian authorities to fight terror, which remains the foremost obstacle to achieving the vision of two states living side by side in peace and security."^[33]

Aftermath

Although the interior of the restaurant was completely destroyed in the attack, it was quickly rebuilt and reopened within several months.

A monument was erected near the restaurant in memory of the victims killed in the attack.

See also

• Civilian casualties in the Second Intifada
• Palestinian political violence
• Israeli casualties of war
• Islamic terrorism

References

1. ^ A New Shoah: The Untold Story of Israel's Victims of Terrorism. By Giulio Meotti. p.187
2. ^ Suicide bombing of Maxim restaurant in Haifa - 4-Oct-2003
3. ^ ^{a b} Cult of the FEMALE SUICIDE BOMBER. The Sunday Times Magazine (Perth, W. Australia). By KEVIN TOOLIS, pp 12-15, September 10, 2006
4. ^ Admiral (res.) Ze'ev Almog
5. ^ "HM Submarine Turpin". Submarines: Chatham Built. http://www.csubmarine.org/html/boats/turpin.html. Retrieved September 28, 2011. 
6. ^ Ruth Almog
7. ^ Moshe Almog
8. ^ Tomer Almog
9. ^ Assaf Staier
10. ^ Bruria Zer-Aviv
11. ^ Bezalel Zer-Aviv
12. ^ Keren Zer-Aviv
13. ^ Liran Zer-Aviv
14. ^ Noya Zer-Aviv
15. ^ Nir Regev
16. ^ Zvi Bahat
17. ^ Mark Biano
18. ^ Naomi Biano
19. ^ Hana Francis
20. ^ Sharbal Matar
21. ^ Mutanus Karkabi
22. ^ Osama Najar
23. ^ Irena Sofrin
24. ^ Lydia Zilberstein
25. ^ George Matar
26. ^ Arnon Regular,Profile of the Haifa suicide bomber. October 5, 2003; www.haaretz.com.
27. ^ David Blair, "Revenge sparked suicide bombing". The Daily Telegraph via The Ottawa Citizen, October 6, 2003: A9.
28. ^ Arnon Regular,Profile of the Haifa suicide bomber. October 5, 2003; www.haaretz.com.
29. ^ Vered Levy-Barzalai, Ticking bomb. October 16, 2003; www.haaretz.com.
30. ^ David Blair, "Revenge sparked suicide bombing". The Daily Telegraph via The Ottawa Citizen, October 6, 2003: A9.
31. ^ [1]
32. ^ [2]
33. ^ [3]

External links

• Suicide bombing of Maxim restaurant in Haifa - published at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Suicide attacker kills at least 19 in north of Israel - published on the New York Times on October 5, 2003
• Israel suicide attack kills 20 - published on the BBC News on October 4, 2003
• Bomb kills 19, wounds 50 in Israel - published on The Boston Globe on October 5, 2003
• Homicide Bomber Kills 19 at Israeli Restaurant - published on Fox News on October 5, 2003
• Female Bomber Kills 19 In Israeli Suicide Strike - published on the New York Daily News on October 5, 2003
• Woman suicide bomber kills 19 Israelis on Jewish holy day - published on The Daily Telegraph on October 5, 2003