2008 Jerusalem yeshiva attack

2008 school mass shooting in Jerusalem

Mercaz HaRav Massacre

Memorial for the victims at the entrance to the library at Mercaz HaRav

class=notpageimage|

The attack site

Location| The Mercaz HaRav yeshiva at Kiryat Moshe, West Jerusalem
Coordinates| 31°47′16″N 35°11′49″E﻿ / ﻿31.78778°N 35.19694°E﻿ / 31.78778; 35.19694
Date| 6 March 2008 (2008-03-06)
8:36 pm[1] – 8:56 pm (GMT+2)

Attack type

| Mass shooting, massacre, school shooting
Weapon| AK-47
Deaths| 8 victims and the assailant[2]
Injured| 11[2]
Assailant| 1 (Alaa Abu Dheim)[3]
Defenders| Yitzhak Dadon and David Shapira

On 6 March 2008, a lone Palestinian gunman shot multiple students at the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva, a religious school in West Jerusalem. Eight students and the assailant were killed. Eleven more were wounded, five of them placed in serious to critical condition.[4][5][6]

The attack began at 8:30 p.m. local time and ended sixteen minutes later. The attacker was stopped by long-time Mercaz HaRav student Yitzhak Dadon and off-duty Israel Defense Forces Captain David Shapira, who killed the perpetrator with their personal firearms.[7]

The attack itself was praised by Hamas and, according to a subsequent poll, was supported by 84 percent of the Palestinian population, the highest result showing support for violence in 15 years, which the pollster concluded was the result of recent actions by Israel in Gaza and the West Bank.[8][9] It was condemned in official statements by various countries around the world.

## The shooting

[edit]

The attacker, Alaa Abu Dheim, age 26, from the Arab neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber in East Jerusalem, who, according to his family, worked as a driver for a private company that made deliveries to the yeshiva,[10] entered the building carrying a box concealing an AKM along with several magazines, later firing as many as 500–600 rounds.[11]

Dheim entered the courtyard of the yeshiva at the main entrance, put down the box and took out the weapon, and opened fire on a group of students from the Yashlatz yeshiva high school and Mercaz HaRav who were standing at the entrance, killing three of them. He then went into the yeshiva library and fired at the students there, killing five and wounding nine, three of them seriously. Seventeen students managed to escape into an adjacent classroom and blocked the door with a heavy table.

Ten minutes after the shooting began, two police officers, one male and one female, arrived on the scene. The policewoman stopped a nearby passenger bus and prevented it from approaching, while the policeman entered the courtyard with a rifle. Dheim noticed him through the glass door of the yeshiva library and shot at him, but the officer, not knowing the precise source of the fire and afraid of harming innocents, did not return the fire and took cover. Immediately after the police arrived, Captain David Shapira, a graduate of the yeshiva and an officer in the Israel Defense Forces who lived nearby but was not on duty at the time, arrived at the scene with his M-16 rifle, while Yitzhak Dadon, a yeshiva student who had a gun, positioned himself on the roof of a nearby building. The police officer in the courtyard warned Shapira not to enter, but Shapira ignored him, and entered the building near the library door and positioned himself in a nearby corridor. Sixteen minutes after the shooting began, Dheim emerged from the library, and Dadon and Shapira opened fire, killing him.[12][13]

### Timeline

[edit]

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|

One of the yeshiva buildings

* 8:30 pm – Shooting begins.
* 8:36 pm – First call received by a Magen David Adom operator from a yeshiva student inside the building requesting emergency services.
* 8:37 pm – First ambulances dispatched.
* 8:40 pm – The first police car arrives at the scene; officer does not enter.[14]
* 8:41 pm – First paramedic on site reports of one wounded.
* 8:42 pm – Shapira enters the yeshiva.
* 8:45 pm – Two detectives arrive on the scene.
* 8:46 pm – Attacker killed.
* 8:51 pm – 'A.R.A.N.' declared (multiple wounded event).
* 8:57 pm – MADA operator reports 'end of shooting' and orders paramedics into yeshiva.[1]

## Assailant

[edit]

The assailant, Alaa Abu Dheim

The gunman, Alaa Abu Dheim (Arabic: علاء أبو دهيم, Hebrew: עלא אבו-דהיים), a resident of Jerusalem, was, according to his family, a driver who delivered goods to the yeshiva;[15] this was later denied by the head of the yeshiva. [clarification needed] [citation needed] The gunman's family said he was an intensely religious Muslim but not a member of any militant group. [citation needed]

Abu Dheim, like other Arab residents of East Jerusalem who choose not to have Israeli citizenship, carried an Israeli identity card that granted him freedom of movement and travel throughout Israel.[16] On 5 January 2009, the Israeli High Court of Justice authorized the demolition of Abu Dheim's family home.[17]

### Motive

[edit]

See also: Operation Hot Winter

Although Abu Dhaim left behind no statement describing his motive, his sister, Iman Abu Dhaim, told the Associated Press that he had been radicalized by the violence in Gaza, where 126 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces from Wednesday through Monday,[10] in response to rocket fire from Palestinian terrorist groups based in Gaza.[18][19]

According to journalist Ian Black, the attack seemed intended to send the message that Israeli attacks on its enemies, either in Gaza, Lebanon or Syria would not go unanswered. The seminary is identified with the spiritual leadership of the Jewish settlement movement in the West Bank, and especially with Gush Emunim. Jerusalem may have been chosen as there had been no attacks in the city during 2007.[20]

### Claims of responsibility

[edit]

Hezbollah television network Al-Manar reported that a group calling itself Galilee Liberators Brigades—the Martyrs of Imad Mughniyeh has claimed responsibility for the attack, raising the possibility that the shooting was in retaliation for the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh. Israel had previously denied responsibility for that assassination.[21]

Hamas praised the attack on Thursday but did not claim responsibility for it. On Friday an anonymous phone call to the Reuters news agency took responsibility on Hamas's behalf. However, Fawzi Barhoum, a senior Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said that no claim was official unless made in a written statement signed by the military wing of Hamas.[10]

## Reaction

[edit]

### Israeli

[edit]

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the attack "horrible".[22] Olmert also said that the Mercaz Harav yeshiva had produced, "the finest soldiers for many generations; people who have realized the Zionist faith. This yeshiva—which was founded by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook—has educated and nurtured tradition and legacy, as part of Israel's resilience."[23] A spokesman for Olmert said Israel would act after proper investigation and deliberation, and he condemned those, like Hamas, who celebrated the killings with parades in Gaza. "That Hamas calls this a heroic act, and praises it, this exposes them for what they are", the Olmert spokesman said.[10] However in their grief Olmert was not welcomed to visit the place of Torah learning. A yeshiva spokesperson told Ehud Olmert that he was not welcome at that time, saying it wanted to "save him and us the embarrassment."[24]

Dalia Itzik of the ruling Kadima party, speaker of the Knesset and acting president while Shimon Peres is overseas, called for the demolition of the mourning tent for the killer and the demolition of his family's home.[25]

Thousands in Israel mourned the deaths of those killed, observing Jewish traditions of mourning, with the murdered victims buried on Friday.[26]

A Channel 1 report that three alumni of the yeshiva were planning a revenge attack against a senior Arab official affiliated with a mosque on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, allegedly with permission from several rabbis, was dismissed by Public Security Minister Avi Dichter and the Shin Bet as baseless following their investigation. National Religious Party's MK Zevulun Orlev said he suspected the allegations were an attempt to "blemish religious Zionism."[27][28][29]

Education Minister Yuli Tamir, who made a condolence visit to the yeshiva two days after the shooting, left and later claimed '[I] was kicked in the back twice, spat at, and verbally attacked by dozens of youths outside building', they called me 'murderer' and they said that "the Left is to blame for everything."[30] She had said at the Yeshivah itself "This [hostility to the left as she saw it] reminded me of the days before (former Prime Minister Yitzhak) Rabin's murder. It's unfortunate that there is a public which cannot put limits from [sic] itself. I only came to pay my respect to the murdered, not to engage in politics."[23] The next morning Yuli Tamir threatened to cut off funding for the yeshiva, citing a lack of "democratic values".[31]

The Israel Football Association called for a minute's silence prior to the weekend's football matches, though it was marred in Sakhnin where some supporters of the Arab Bnei Sakhnin team booed. Bnei Sakhnin F.C. spokesman Mundar Haleileh said his club honored the moment of silence, "but we don't have full control over all fans. The association made the decision, and perhaps mixing politics with soccer is a matter to be discussed."[32]

On 17 March, hundreds of activists attacked Arab homes in the east Jerusalem neighborhood Jebl Mukaber in an attempt to raze the house of the family of the gunman. For three hours, the activists chanted "revenge, revenge", vandalized property of the Arab village (which the police tried to prevent), and clashed with the police, whom they accused of "guarding the murderers." Many of the protesters were part of the settler movement and carried signs with slogans such as "Expel the Arab Enemy" and "The Land of Israel for the Jewish People" while others shouted "kill the Arabs". Despite a heavy police blockade at the entrance to Jebl Mukaber and a massive deployment of security forces in the area, the marchers managed to enter the village, stone residents' homes and damage a couple of cars belonging to villagers. The police declared the demonstration illegal, and finally forced the protesters to leave.[33]

At an event one month after the attack, former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu told some 1,000 attendants that in retribution for the massacre the government should establish a yeshiva or Jewish township for every one of the lives lost that evening. However, other National Religious voices were more moderate. In the same one-month commemoration event, the Chief Rabbi of Ramat Gan, Rabbi Yaacov Ariel, reminded his audience:

> We do not seek revenge, only retaliation ... we are against killing innocent people or harming children.[34]

The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem released a statement condemning the attack which read: "B'Tselem severely condemns the Palestinian terror attack that took place in a yeshiva (religious school) in Jerusalem, in which 8 Israeli civilians, including 4 minors were killed and many other persons were injured. Attacks aimed at civilians are immoral, inhuman, and illegal."[35]

### Palestinian

[edit]

Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, stated "We condemn all attacks against civilians, be they Palestinian or Israeli."[36]

### Supranational

[edit]

* United Nations: The United Nations Security Council failed to agree on a condemnation of the attack due to opposition from Libya which wanted to link the condemnation to a resolution calling for censure of Israel over its actions in Gaza the previous week.[37]

### International

[edit]

* The Organisation of the Islamic Conference condemned the killings, saying it abhorred violence anywhere in the world.[38]
* Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt, described the incident as "an unacceptable terrorist attack."[39]
* United States President George W. Bush condemned the attack, and expressed his solidarity with the families of the victims and the people of Israel.[40] Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed her condolences on the attack. She also wrote that "The United States condemns tonight's act of terror and depravity."[41] United States Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (IL) phoned Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni while she was visiting the US. Obama expressed his condolences to the Israeli people and to the bereaved families in the wake of the terror attack in the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva. He also stressed Israel's right to defend itself and made it clear that both the US and Israel were interested in ensuring that Iran will not be acquiring nuclear weapons.[42][43] United States Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), at the time a leading presidential candidate, said "My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families who are suffering the loss and horror of this despicable act of terrorism. The United States and the international community must make clear that such deplorable acts of terrorism will not be tolerated and we must continue to stand with Israel in its fight against terror."[44]
* Argentina's Foreign Ministry said: "Argentina's Government expresses our deep concern at the escalation of tensions and violence in the region and condemns the attack [...]" "Argentina urges for the cessation of violence ... this way will allow the negotiation process for a fair, global and durable peace"[45]
* Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Bernier stated that "Canada condemns this terrorist act in the strongest possible terms. The attack does nothing to advance the Palestinian cause."[46]
* Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Qin Gang condemned the attack and expressed hope for the lessening of tensions in the Middle East.[47]
* Slovenia, which held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, issued a statement condemning the attack, and stating that "terrorist acts are unacceptable."[48]
* France's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Kouchner condemned the attack, and called for peace talks to continue despite the attack.[49]
* Germany's Minister of Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that the attack horrified him, and expressed his sympathy to the families.[50][51]
* The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the attack, and expressed its profound condolences to the families.[52]
* The Indian Ministry for External Affairs condemned "the mindless terrorist attack" in which "eight young innocent Israeli lives were lost" and called for dialogue to end the "current cycle of violence".[53]
* Ireland's Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern "strongly condemned the terrorist attack" and urged "all parties to end the spiral of violence."[54]
* Masahiko Kōmura, the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, said that "Japan expresses its condolences to the bereaved families as well as deepest sympathy for the people who were injured. Terrorism cannot be justified for any reason, and any attempt to justify it is unacceptable."[55]
* Jordanian police dismantled a mourning tent erected outside the home of relatives of the shooter.[56][57]
* Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre condemned the attack and expressed his sympathies to the families.[58]
* British Prime Minister Gordon Brown condemned the attack, saying that it was "an attempt to strike a blow at the very heart of the peace process."[59] Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs David Miliband condemned the attack and expressed his hope for a peaceful Middle East.[60]

## Praise for the attack

[edit]

The Palestinian National Authority daily newspaper, Al-Hayat al-Jadida, honored the shooter as a "martyr". The paper prominently placed a picture of the gunman on the front page, with the caption, "The Martyr Alaa Abu Dheim". In a front-page article on the killings, his act was again defined as a "martyrdom-achieving" action. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri stated that "This heroic attack in Jerusalem is a normal response to the crimes of the occupier and its murder of civilians".[61]

In a poll taken two weeks later by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, 84 percent of Palestinians supported the attack on the Mercaz Harav yeshiva. The pollster, Mr. Shikaki was "shocked" and said the result was the single highest support for an act of violence in his 15 years of polling. According to The New York Times, the pollster posited in his own words that recent Israeli actions had "led to despair and rage among average Palestinians who thirst for revenge", including the death of 130 people as a result of attacks on Gaza, the killing of four militants in an undercover operation in Bethlehem and plans to expand several Israeli settlements in the West Bank.[8]

According to The Jerusalem Post, in March 2008, Abdel Bari Atwan, editor-in-chief of Arab language newspapers, as well as a London based Pan-Arab paper, said the murder of 15-year-old students "was justified" and that the celebrations in Gaza following the murders symbolized "the courage of the Palestinian nation" and "marks Israel's destruction."[62] Conversely in his English language appearances on BBC Dateline and Dutch television, and in his book he stated "We have to learn to live together in peace and co-operation in a multi-cultural society in one democratic secular state for two people. One state for both peoples governed by a representative democracy and on an equal footing. We manage it here in London, it is working in South Africa, and there is enough room for everyone in Palestine. I respect the Jewish people and their religion. I do not want to destroy Israel but I do want to end racism and the current Apartheid system."[63]

## See also

[edit]

* List of school-related attacks
* Ma'alot massacre
* Hebrew University bombing
* Avivim school bus bombing
* Jerusalem bulldozer attack
* Jerusalem BMW attack
* 2014 Jerusalem synagogue attack

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Twenty minutes of fire until terrorist killed" (in Hebrew). Nana 10. Archived from the original on 13 March 2008. Retrieved 9 March 2008.
2. ^ a b "Mercaz Harav hit by worst terror attack since April 2006". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
3. ^ "Terrorist was a driver for the Yeshiva". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 7 March 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
4. ^ "Eight killed at Jerusalem school Archived 9 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine", BBC News, 6 March 2008
5. ^ "Terror Attack At Jerusalem Seminary – Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva"; 8 Dead Archived 27 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, NationalTerrorAlert.com, 6 March 2008.
6. ^ Jerusalem seminary attacked Archived 8 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine, UPI.com, 6 March 2008.
7. ^ One year on, horror of yeshiva terror attack still fresh Archived 17 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine Haaretz, 24 February 2009
8. ^ a b Bronner, Ethan (19 March 2008). "Poll Shows Most Palestinians Favor Violence Over Talks". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
9. ^ "Poll: 84% of Palestinians back yeshiva attack". The Jerusalem Post. 19 March 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
10. ^ a b c d Kershner, Isabel; Steven Erlanger (8 March 2008). "8 Burials for Jerusalem Seminary's Dead". The New York Times.
11. ^ "8 murdered by terrorist in J'lem". The Jerusalem Post. Jerusalem. 6 March 2008.
12. ^ Bender, Eric (19 March 2008). "'השוטר לא ירה אפילו כדור אחד על המחבל'" [The policeman 'did not fire a single bullet at the terrorist']. makorrishon.co.il (in Hebrew).
13. ^ Zino, Aviram (7 March 2008). "8 killed in Jerusalem terror attack". Ynetnews. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
14. ^ J'lem police chief: Cop on duty should've stopped yeshiva attacker Archived 1 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine Haaretz, 19 March 2008
15. ^ Gunman was seminary driver – police Archived 14 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Channel 4. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
16. ^ "Eight arrested in probe of Jewish seminary attack". CNN. 8 March 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
17. ^ "Demolition of Mercaz Harav terrorist's home authorized". Retrieved 19 November 2014.
18. ^ "Attacks Mar Israeli-Palestinian Talks" Archived 19 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine, NPR. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
19. ^ "Israel signals that it will continue peace talks despite attack", NBC News. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
20. ^ Black, Ian."A double act of revenge: carefully planned atrocity strikes at Israel's spiritual heart" Archived 18 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
21. ^ Lis, Jonathan; Yair Ettinger; Amos Harel. "Eight killed in terrorist attack at Jerusalem yeshiva". Haaretz. Retrieved 6 March 2008.
22. ^ Copans, Laurie. Israel Say Peace Talks to Continue
23. ^ a b Vered, Luvitch. "Education minister verbally attacked at Mercaz Harav yeshiva" Archived 25 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Ynetnews. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
24. ^ "Stricken J'lem yeshiva: PM not welcome to visit" Archived 1 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Haaretz, 10 March 2008.
25. ^ Knesset speaker calls for demolition of Jerusalem yeshiva terrorist's home Archived 13 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine Haaretz. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
26. ^ McCarthy, Ron."Murder victims buried" Archived 18 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian, 7 March 2008.
27. ^ "Rightist rabbis urge Jews to avenge enemies 'measure for measure'" Archived 27 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Haaretz, 12 March 2008.
28. ^ "Report: Yeshiva graduates plan revenge attack against Arab figure" Archived 28 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Haaretz. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
29. ^ Yeshiva students warned against Shin Bet agent[permanent dead link‍], The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
30. ^ Sela, Neta (10 March 2008). "Itzik: Destroy mourning' tent, home of Jerusalem terrorist". Ynetnews. Retrieved 10 March 2008.
31. ^ "Yuli Tamir threatens to ultimately cut funding of Mercaz Harav". IMRA. 10 March 2008.
32. ^ "Moment of silence marred in Sakhnin" Archived 8 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine Haaretz, 10 March 2008.
33. ^ Paz, Shelly (16 March 2008). "22 nabbed in right-wing Jebl Mukaber protest". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 3 April 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
34. ^ "Rabbi Eliyahu: Life of one yeshiva boy worth more than 1,000 Arabs" Archived 5 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Ynetnews. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
35. ^ "8 Israeli civilian including 4 minors killed by Palestinians in Jerusalem". B'Tselem. 7 March 2008.
36. ^ "Eight teens killed in Jerusalem attack". Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 6 March 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
37. ^ "Libya Blocks UN Council Condemnation of Jerusalem Attack". Nasdaq.com. 6 March 2008. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
38. ^ Mar'i, Mohammed. "Annan, Carter to Launch Mideast Peace Mission Archived 30 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine", ArabNews.com, 8 March 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
39. ^ "Embassy of Sweden". swedenabroad.com. Archived from the original on 14 March 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
40. ^ "President Bush Condemns Terrorist Attack in Israel". White House. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
41. ^ "Condolences on Attack against Rabbinical Students". state.gov. 6 March 2008. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
42. ^ Obama calls Livni, back's Israel's right for self-defense Archived 16 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Ynetnews. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
43. ^ Livni, in U.S., speaks to Obama by phone, pressing Iran issue Archived 20 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Haaretz. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
44. ^ Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator for New York: Statement of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on Terrorist Attack in Jerusalem Archived 14 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine, clinton.senate.gov. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
45. ^ "El Gobierno condenó el atentado en Jerusalén" (in Spanish). lanacion.com.ar. Archived from the original on 14 March 2008. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
46. ^ "Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada". w01.international.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 16 March 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
47. ^ "Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Qin Gang's Remarks on the Attack at a Jewish School in Jerusalem". chinaembassy.org.il. Archived from the original on 14 March 2008. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
48. ^ "EU Presidency condemns Jerusalem terror attack". European Commission. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
49. ^ "Attentat contre une école talmudique à Jérusalem – Mon site SPIP" (in French). 194.90.243.96. Archived from the original on 14 March 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
50. ^ "- Startseite" (in German). tel-aviv.diplo.de. Archived from the original on 10 March 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
51. ^ "- עמוד פתיחה" (in Hebrew). tel-aviv.diplo.de. Archived from the original on 6 March 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
52. ^ "Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Of Georgia". mfa.gov.ge. Archived from the original on 13 August 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
53. ^ "India condemns attack on Israel seminary". The Times of India. 9 March 2008. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2008.
54. ^ "Department of Foreign Affairs – Minister Ahern condemns killing of Israeli religious students in Jerusalem". dfa.ie. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
55. ^ "MOFA: Statement by Foreign Minister Koumura on the terrorist shooting attack in Jerusalem". mofa.go.jp. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
56. ^ "JTA, Jewish & Israel News". jta.org. Archived from the original on 14 March 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
57. ^ "Jordan stops public mourning of gunman". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 8 March 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
58. ^ "Norway condemns terrorist attack in Jerusalem". regjeringen.no. 7 March 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
59. ^ "British Embassy Tel Aviv, News: PM Brown condemns Jerusalem terror attack". britemb.org.il. Archived from the original on 15 March 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
60. ^ "Press Releases Foreign & Commonwealth Office". fco.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 8 March 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
61. ^ "8 shot at Jerusalem school". The Times of India. 7 March 2008. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
62. ^ Paul, Jonny (15 March 2008). "Arab daily: Mercaz Harav attack was justified". The Jerusalem Post. London. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
63. ^ A Country of Words, p. 280. Saqi Books, London, 2008; ISBN 978-0-86356-621-9.

## External links

[edit]

* "Gunman kills 8 in Jerusalem Jewish college", reuters.com, 7 March 2008.
* "Gunman Kills 8 in Attack on School in Jerusalem", The New York Times, 6 March 2008.
* Death Comes for Israel's Seminarians – published on TIME on 6 March 2008
* Terror shooting at Mercaz Harav Kook Yeshiva in Jerusalem, mfa.gov.il, 6 March 2008.

* v
* t
* e

Prominent terrorist attacks against Israelis in the history of the Arab–Israeli conflict – the 2000s

2001|

* Murder of Ofir Rahum (January 17)
* Azor attack (February 14)
* Netanya bombing (March 4)
* Murder of Shalhevet Pass (March 26)
* Murders of Koby Mandell and Yosef Ishran (May 8)
* 1st HaSharon Mall bombing (May 18)
* Dolphinarium discotheque massacre (June 1)
* Killing of Yehuda Shoham (June 5)
* Binyamina train station bombing (July 16)
* Sbarro restaurant bombing (August 9)
* Nahariya train station bombing (September 9)
* Assassination of Rehavam Ze'evi (October 17)
* Camp 80 junction bus attack (November 29)
* Ben Yehuda Street Bombings (December 1)
* Haifa bus bombing (December 2)
* Immanuel bus attack (December 12)

2002|

* Hadera attack (January 18)
* Tel Aviv outdoor mall bombing (January 25)
* Jaffa Street bombing (January 27)
* Karnei Shomron Mall bombing (February 16)
* Ein 'Arik checkpoint attack (February 19)
* Yeshivat Beit Yisrael bombing (March 2)
* Wadi al-Haramiya sniper attack (March 3)
* Seafood Market attack (March 5)
* Café Moment bombing (March 9)
* Matzuva attack (March 12)
* Egged bus 823 bombing (March 20)
* King George Street bombing (March 21)
* Passover massacre (March 27) ‡
* Kiryat HaYovel supermarket bombing (March 29)
* Matza restaurant bombing (March 31)
* Yagur Junction bombing (April 10)
* Mahane Yehuda bombing (April 12)
* Adora attack (April 27)
* Rishon LeZion bombing (May 7)
* Netanya Market bombing (May 19)
* Pi Glilot bombing attempt (May 23)
* Megiddo Junction bus bombing (June 5)
* Herzliya bombing (June 11)
* Patt Junction bus bombing (June 18)
* French Hill bombing (June 19)
* Itamar attack (June 20)
* Los Angeles Airport shooting (July 4)
* Immanuel bus attack (July 16)
* Neve Shaanan Street bombing (July 17)
* Hebrew University bombing (July 31)
* Meron Junction bus attack (August 4)
* Allenby Street bus bombing (September 19)
* Karkur junction bombing (October 21)
* Sonol gas station bombing (October 27)
* Metzer attack (November 10)
* Kiryat Menachem bus bombing (November 21)
* Mombasa attacks (November 28)
* Beit She'an attack (November 28)
* Yeshivat Otniel shooting (December 27)

2003|

* Tel Aviv central bus station massacre (January 5)
* Haifa bus bombing (March 5)
* Mike's Place bombing (April 30)
* French Hill bombings (May 18)
* Afula mall bombing (May 19)
* Davidka Square bus bombing (June 11)
* Route 60 Hamas attack (June 20)
* Murder of Oleg Shaichat (July 28)
* Shmuel HaNavi bus bombing (August 19)
* Tzrifin bus stop attack (September 9)
* Café Hillel bombing (September 9)
* Maxim restaurant bombing (October 4)
* Geha Interchange bus stop bombing (December 25)

2004|

* 2004 Erez Crossing bombing (January 14)
* Gaza Street bus bombing (January 29)
* Liberty Bell Park bus bombing (February 22)
* Ashdod Port bombings (March 14)
* Murder of the Hatuel family (May 2)
* Tashkent embassy bombing (July 30)
* Beersheba bus bombings (August 31)
* Sinai bombings (October 7)
* Carmel Market bombing (November 1)

2005|

* Karni border crossing attack (January 13)
* Stage Club bombing (February 25)
* 2nd HaSharon Mall bombing (July 12)
* Shfar'am attack (August 4)
* Kidnapping and murder of Sasson Nuriel (September 21)
* Hadera Market bombing (October 26)
* 3rd HaSharon Mall bombing (December 5)

2006|

* 1st Rosh Ha'ir restaurant bombing (January 19)
* Kedumim bombing (March 30)
* 2nd Rosh Ha'ir restaurant bombing (April 17)
* Murder of Eliyahu Asheri (June 25)

2007|

* Eilat bombing (January 29)
* Nahal Telem shooting (December 28)

2008|

* Dimona bombing (February 4)
* Jerusalem yeshiva attack (March 6)
* Jerusalem bulldozer attack (July 2)
* Jerusalem BMW attack (September 22)

2009|

* Bat Ayin axe attack (April 2)
* Killing of Rabbi Meir Hai (December 24)

Attacks launched from the West Bank Attacks launched from the Gaza Strip Attacks launched from Lebanon

‡ indicates the terrorist attack which caused the greatest amount of Israeli casualties during the 2000s

* Full list of Palestinian suicide attacks
* List of Israeli civilian casualties in the Second Intifada
* List of projectile attacks from Lebanon on Israel and the Golan Heights
* List of attacks from Lebanon
* Rocket attack on Eilat

1990s 2010s

* v
* t
* e

Prominent attacks by Palestinian militants in the 2000s

Within
Israel|

* Azor attack3 (February 14, 2001)
* Netanya bombing2 (March 4, 2001)
* 1st HaSharon Mall entrance suicide bombing (May 18, 2001)
* Dolphinarium discotheque massacre2 (June 1, 2001)
* Binyamina train station suicide bombing (July 16, 2001)
* Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing2 (August 9, 2001)
* Nahariya train station suicide bombing (September 9, 2001)
* Camp 80 junction bus 823 attack (November 29, 2001)
* Ben Yehuda Street Bombings (December 1, 2001)
* Haifa bus 16 suicide bombing (December 2, 2001)
* Hadera attack (January 18, 2002)
* Tel Aviv outdoor mall bombing (January 25, 2002)
* Jaffa Street bombing (January 27, 2002)
* Karnei Shomron Mall suicide bombing (February 16, 2002)
* Yeshivat Beit Yisrael bombing (March 2, 2002)
* Seafood Market attack (March 5, 2002)
* Atzmona attack (March 7, 2002)
* Café Moment bombing (March 9, 2002)
* Matzuva attack1 (March 12, 2002)
* Egged bus 823 bombing (March 20, 2002)
* King George Street bombing (March 21, 2002)
* Passover massacre (March 27, 2002)
* Kiryat HaYovel supermarket bombing (March 29, 2002)
* Matza restaurant suicide bombing (March 31, 2002)
* Yagur Junction bombing (April 10, 2002)
* Mahane Yehuda Market bombing (April 12, 2002)
* Rishon LeZion bombing (May 7, 2002)
* Netanya Market bombing (May 19, 2002)
* Pi Glilot bombing attempt (May 23, 2002)
* Megiddo Junction bus bombing (June 5, 2002)
* Herzliya shawarma restaurant bombing (June 11, 2002)
* Patt Junction bus bombing (June 18, 2002)
* Neve Shaanan Street bombing (July 17, 2002)
* Hebrew University bombing (July 31, 2002)
* Meron Junction Bus 361 attack (August 4, 2002)
* Allenby Street bus bombing (September 19, 2002)
* Karkur junction suicide bombing (October 21, 2002)
* Metzer attack (November 2, 2002)
* Kiryat Menachem bus bombing (November 21, 2002)
* Beit She'an attack (November 28, 2002)
* Tel Aviv central bus station massacre (January 5, 2003)
* Haifa bus 37 suicide bombing (March 5, 2003)
* Mike's Place suicide bombing (April 30, 2003)
* Jerusalem bombings (May 18, 2003)
* Afula mall bombing (May 19, 2003)
* Davidka Square bus bombing (June 11, 2003)
* Murder of Oleg Shaichat (July 28, 2003)
* Shmuel HaNavi bus bombing (August 19, 2003)
* Tzrifin bus stop attack (September 9, 2003)
* Café Hillel bombing (September 9, 2003)
* Maxim restaurant suicide bombing (October 4, 2003)
* Geha Interchange bus stop bombing (December 25, 2003)
* 2004 Erez Crossing bombing3 (January 14, 2004)
* Gaza Street bus bombing (January 29, 2004)
* Liberty Bell Park bus bombing (February 22, 2004)
* Ashdod Port bombings (March 14, 2004)
* Beersheba bus bombings (August 31, 2004)
* Carmel Market bombing (November 1, 2004)
* Karni border crossing attack (January 13, 2005)
* Stage Club bombing (February 25, 2005)
* 2nd HaSharon Mall entrance suicide bombing (July 12, 2005)
* Hadera Market bombing (October 26, 2005)
* 3rd HaSharon Mall entrance suicide bombing (December 5, 2005)
* 2nd Rosh Ha'ir restaurant bombing (April 17, 2006)
* Gaza cross-border raid2 (June 25, 2006)
* Eilat bakery bombing (January 29, 2007)
* Dimona suicide bombing (February 4, 2008)
* Jerusalem yeshiva attack (March 6, 2008)
* Jerusalem bulldozer attack (July 2, 2008)
* Jerusalem BMW attack (September 22, 2008)

West Bank|

* Ramallah lynching (October 12, 2000)
* Murder of Ofir Rahum (January 17, 2001)
* Assassination of the Israeli Minister of Tourism Rehavam Ze'evi2 (October 17, 2001)
* Murder of Shalhevet Pass (March 26, 2001)
* Palestinian fatal stoning attack (June 5, 2001)
* Immanuel bus attack (December 12, 2001)
* Ein 'Arik checkpoint attack (19 February 2002)
* Wadi al-Haramiya sniper attack (March 3, 2002)
* French Hill Junction suicide bombing (June 19, 2002)
* Itamar attack (June 20, 2002)
* Immanuel bus attack (July 16, 2002)
* Sonol gas station bombing (October 27, 2002)
* Hebron ambush (November 15, 2002)
* Yeshivat Otniel shooting (December 27, 2002)
* Kidnapping and murder of Sasson Nuriel (September 21, 2005)
* Kedumim bombing (March 30, 2006)
* Murder of Eliyahu Asheri (June 25, 2006)
* Nahal Telem shooting (December 28, 2007)
* Bat Ayin axe attack (April 2, 2009)
* Killing of Rabbi Meir Hai (December 24, 2009)

Gaza Strip|

* Kissufim tank ambush ‎(September 5, 2002)
* Murder of the Hatuel family (May 2, 2004)
* IDF outpost bombing attack (December 12, 2004)

Worldwide|

* Sinai bombings (October 7, 2004)

1 Attacks launched from Lebanon 2 Attacks launched from the West Bank 3 Attacks launched from the Gaza Strip 1990s 2010s

* v
* t
* e

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Participants

| Israelis|

* Israel Defense Forces
* Israel Police
* Mossad
* Shabak (Shin Bet)

|

Palestinians|

| Principals|

* All-Palestine Protectorate
* Palestine Liberation Organization
* Fatah
* Hamas
* Palestinian Authority

|

Other groups|

* al-Aqsa Brigades
* Children
* DFLP
* Jenin Brigades
* Lions' Den
* PIJ
* PLF
* PPSF
* PFLP
* PFLP-GC
* PRC
* Sabireen Movement
* Sons of Zouari

Third-party groups|

* Arab League
* Hezbollah

Individuals

| Israelis|

* Moshe Arens
* Ami Ayalon
* Ehud Barak
* David Ben-Gurion
* Naftali Bennett
* Menachem Begin
* Meir Dagan
* Moshe Dayan
* Avi Dichter
* Yuval Diskin
* Benny Gantz
* Efraim Halevy
* Dan Halutz
* Tzipi Livni
* Golda Meir
* Shaul Mofaz
* Yitzhak Mordechai
* Benjamin Netanyahu
* Ehud Olmert
* Shimon Peres
* Yaakov Peri
* Yitzhak Rabin
* Amnon Lipkin-Shahak
* Yitzhak Shamir
* Ariel Sharon
* Shabtai Shavit
* Moshe Ya'alon
* Danny Yatom
* Zvi Zamir

|

Palestinians|

* Abu Abbas
* Mahmoud Abbas
* Moussa Arafat
* Yasser Arafat
* Yahya Ayyash
* Marwan Barghouti
* Mohammed Dahlan
* Mohammed Deif
* George Habash
* Wadie Haddad
* Ismail Haniyeh
* Nayef Hawatmeh
* Amin al-Husayni
* Ghazi Jabali
* Ahmed Jibril
* Abu Jihad
* Salah Khalaf
* Leila Khaled
* Sheikh Khalil
* Khaled Mashal
* Zuheir Mohsen
* Abu Ali Mustafa
* Abu Nidal
* Izz ad-Din al-Qassam
* Jibril Rajoub
* Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi
* Ali Hassan Salameh
* Salah Shehade
* Ramadan Shalah
* Fathi Shaqaqi
* Ahlam Tamimi
* Ahmed Yassin

* Timeline
* military operations

| Background|

| 1920–1948|

* 1920
* Nebi Musa riots
* Battle of Tel Hai
* 1921 Jaffa riots
* 1929 Palestine riots
* Hebron massacre
* 1936–1939 Arab revolt
* 1944–1947 Jewish insurgency
* 1947–1948 Civil War / Nakba

|

| 1948–1970|

* 1948 Arab–Israeli War
* massacres
* 1948–present Fedayeen insurgency
* 1951–1967 Attacks against Israeli civilians
* 1950s–1960s Reprisal operations
* 1953 Qibya massacre
* 1956 Suez Crisis / Kafr Qasim / Khan Yunis / Rafah massacres
* 1967 Six-Day War
* 1967–1970 War of Attrition
* 1968 Battle of Karameh

|

Palestinian
insurgency

| 1968–1982|

* 1970 Avivim school bus bombing
* 1972 Sabena Flight 571 / Munich massacre / "Bayonet" (1973 Lillehammer affair)
* 1974 Kiryat Shmona massacre / Ma'alot massacre
* 1975 Savoy Hotel attack
* 1976 Entebbe raid
* 1978 Coastal road massacre / South Lebanon conflict
* 1980 Misgav Am hostage crisis

|

| 1973–1987|

* 1973 Yom Kippur War
* 1975 Zion Square bombing
* 1982 Lebanon War
* Siege of Beirut
* 1983 1983 West Bank fainting epidemic
* 1984 Bus 300 affair
* 1985 Achille Lauro hijacking / "Wooden Leg"
* 1987 Night of the Gliders

|

First Intifada|

| 1987–1991|

* 1988 Tunis raid
* 1989 Bus 405 attack
* 1990 Temple Mount killings
* 1990s Palestinian suicide attacks
* list
* 1994 Cave of the Patriarchs massacre

|

Second Intifada|

| 2000–2005|

* Palestinian rocket attacks
* Palestinian suicide attacks
* list
* Israeli assassinations
* 2000 October events
* 2001 Santorini
* 2002 Karine A / "Defensive Shield" / Battle of Jenin / Battle of Nablus / "Determined Path"
* 2003 Ain es Saheb airstrike
* 2004 "Rainbow" / Beit Hanoun raid / "Days of Penitence"

|

Palestinian dissident
campaigns

| 2006–present|

* 2006 "Bringing Home the Goods"
* 2008 Jerusalem yeshiva attack / Jerusalem bulldozer attack
* 2009 Al-Aqsa clashes
* 2010 Palestinian militancy campaign
* 2015–2016 violence
* 2017 Temple Mount crisis
* 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
* 2022 Al-Aqsa clashes

|

Gaza–Israel
conflict

| 2006–present|

* 2006 Gaza beach explosion / Gaza cross-border raid / "Summer Rains" / "Autumn Clouds" / Beit Hanoun shelling
* 2008 Egypt–Gaza border breach / "Hot Winter"
* 2008–2009 Gaza War
* 2010 Gaza flotilla raid
* 2012 "Returning Echo" / "Pillar of Defense"
* 2014 "Protective Edge"
* 2015 Freedom Flotilla III
* 2018 Gaza border protests / November clashes
* 2019 May clashes / "Black Belt"
* 2021 "Guardian of the Walls"
* 2022 "Breaking Dawn"
* 2023 "Shield and Arrow" / Israel–Hamas war

|

Diplomacy/law

| Timeline|

| 1948–1991|

* 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight
* depopulated towns and villages
* 1949 Lausanne Conference
* 1967–present Israeli settlement
* settler violence
* international law

|

1990s|

* 1981–1982 Fahd Plan
* 1991 Madrid Conference
* 1993–1995 Oslo Accords
* 1994 Paris Protocol
* 1994 Gaza–Jericho Agreement
* 1994–present US security assistance to the PA
* 1997 Hebron Agreement
* 1998 Wye River Memorandum
* 1999 Sharm El Sheikh Memorandum

2000s|

* 2000 Camp David Summit / Clinton Parameters
* 2001 Taba Summit
* 2002 Quartet established
* 2003 Road Map
* 2005 Israeli disengagement from Gaza
* 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access
* 2006 Valley of Peace initiative
* 2007 Annapolis Conference
* 2009 Aftonbladet Israel controversy

2010s|

* 2010–11 Israeli–Palestinian peace talks
* 2011 Palestine Papers
* 2013–2014 Israeli–Palestinian peace talks
* 2023–present Gaza genocide

United Nations|

* Israel and the UN
* Palestine and the UN
* 1947 UN Resolution 181
* 1948 UN Resolution 194
* 1967 UN Resolution 242
* ICJ cases
* 2004 Wall construction
* 2023–present South African allegation of genocide
* 2024 Nicaragua v. Germany
* 2023–2024 Israeli occupation

Analysis

* Anti-Palestinianism
* Comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany
* Criticism
* Criticism of Hamas
* Criticism of Israel
* Israeli criticism of the occupation
* Media coverage
* Racism in Israel
* Racism in Palestine
* Timeline of anti-Zionism
* There was no such thing as Palestinians

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