2011 Tel Aviv nightclub attack
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Tel Aviv nightclub attack was a combined vehicle attack and stabbing attack carried out on 01:50 am (GMT
+2) August 29, 2011 in which a Palestinian attacker stole an Israeli taxi
cab and rammed it into a police checkpoint guarding the popular Haoman 17
nightclub
in Tel Aviv
which was filled with 2,000 Israeli teenagers. After crashing into the checkpoint, the attacker jumped out of the vehicle and began stabbing several people. Five civilians and four police officers were injured in the attack.
The plan of the attacker allegedly was to strike some of the hundreds of teenagers present at the nightclub. Nevertheless, due to a Israel Border Police
roadblock
at the entrance and immediate response of the Border Police team during the stabbing spree, a much larger and fatal mass-casualty incident was avoided.
two weeks prior. The Israeli Defense Forces reported it had upgraded its presence along the border with Egypt after receiving an intelligence warning of a possible attack by Islamic Jihad
.
, picked up a passenger who sat next to the taxi driver and asked to drive him to the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station
.
According to the taxi driver's testimony, shortly thereafter, around 1:30 am, the passenger pulled out a sharp knife and demanded that the taxi driver hand him the cab while insisting that "I do not want to hurt you". The driver attempted to fight the passenger but after the passenger stabbed him in the arm he agreed to hand him the vehicle without resistance.
roadblock, which was set in advance to secure the popular Haoman 17
nightclub Tel Aviv, one of Tel Aviv's most popular nightclub
s. The club was holding an end-of-summer celebration at the time and according to an estimation of Aharon Aksul, the head of the Tel Aviv police district, the club consisted of above 1,000 teenagers at the time of the attack.
According to the testimonies of the people present at the scene, initially the incident was perceived as an accident, but soon after when the attacker rushed out of the vehicle with his knife and began stabbing random people while shouting "Allahu Akbar" (common Islam
ic Arabic expression which usually translated "God
is [the] Greatest," or "God is Great"), it became clear to everyone at the scene that this was a terror attack.
The attacker managed to stab a few bystanders before the Border Police team at the site managed to wrestle the attacker to the ground and arrest him.
Around 3 am the security forces at the site began evacuating the teenagers from the club.
In total eight people were injured in the attack, three of them seriously. The Injured include four policemen, and four four civilians. The civilians injured in the stabbing attacks suffered from cuts in their heads, limbs and abdomen.
in the West Bank
. In the initial investigation the attacker insisted that he initiated, planned and prepared for the attack by himself, and that he bought the knife specifically for the stabbing attack and for the taxi robbery. Nevertheless, the Israeli security establishment attempted, among other things, to figure out whether the perpetrator acted alone or whether he operated under the instructions and assistance of a terror organization.
According to a police official in Tel Aviv, the attacker has received preliminary information about the big party which took place at the "Haoman 17" nightclub during that specific time. The police official also stated "no one arrives by chance to such an event by chance to carry out a stabling attack at that late hour, unless one has preliminary information".
Israel:
Palestinian territories:
International – US State Department condemned the attack stating "the United States condemns in strongest terms yesterday's brutal attack on innocent civilians in Tel Aviv".
Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is arguably the same as Coordinated Universal Time and when this is viewed as a time zone the name Greenwich Mean Time is especially used by bodies connected with the United...
+2) August 29, 2011 in which a Palestinian attacker stole an Israeli taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
cab and rammed it into a police checkpoint guarding the popular Haoman 17
Haoman 17
Haoman 17 is a chain of nightclubs in Israel.Haoman 17 in Jerusalem has been rated one of the top night clubs in the world. International DJs often play at the club, which is open on Thursday and Friday nights.- History :...
nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
which was filled with 2,000 Israeli teenagers. After crashing into the checkpoint, the attacker jumped out of the vehicle and began stabbing several people. Five civilians and four police officers were injured in the attack.
The plan of the attacker allegedly was to strike some of the hundreds of teenagers present at the nightclub. Nevertheless, due to a Israel Border Police
Israel Border Police
The Israel Border Police is the gendarmerie and border security branch of the Israel National Police. It is also commonly known by its Hebrew abbreviation Magav , meaning border guard, whilst its members are colloquially known as Magavnikim . Border Guard is often used as the official name of the...
roadblock
Roadblock
A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be:*Roadworks*Temporary road closure during special events*Police chase*Robbery*Sobriety checkpoint...
at the entrance and immediate response of the Border Police team during the stabbing spree, a much larger and fatal mass-casualty incident was avoided.
Background
The attack occurred during the time Israel was increasing security on its southern border following a series of militant attacks2011 southern Israel cross-border attacks
On August 18, 2011, a series of cross-border attacks with parallel attacks and mutual cover was carried out in southern Israel on Highway 12 near the Egyptian border by a squad of presumably 12 militants in four groups...
two weeks prior. The Israeli Defense Forces reported it had upgraded its presence along the border with Egypt after receiving an intelligence warning of a possible attack by Islamic Jihad
Islamic Jihad
Islamic Jihad may refer to:* Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine* Islamic Jihad Organization, active mostly in Lebanon* Islamic Jihad of Yemen* Turkish Islamic Jihad* Egyptian Islamic JihadSee also:* Islamic jihad, theological concept of jihad...
.
Preparations for the attack
On Monday night August 29, 2011 an Israel taxi driver named Nachman Aji, whom was driving his taxi in the streets of JaffaJaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
, picked up a passenger who sat next to the taxi driver and asked to drive him to the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station
Tel Aviv Central Bus Station
Tel Aviv Central Bus Station, known as the New Central Bus Station , is the main bus station of Tel Aviv, Israel...
.
According to the taxi driver's testimony, shortly thereafter, around 1:30 am, the passenger pulled out a sharp knife and demanded that the taxi driver hand him the cab while insisting that "I do not want to hurt you". The driver attempted to fight the passenger but after the passenger stabbed him in the arm he agreed to hand him the vehicle without resistance.
The attack
At around 01:40 am the attacker drove the stolen taxi at full force into a Border PoliceIsrael Border Police
The Israel Border Police is the gendarmerie and border security branch of the Israel National Police. It is also commonly known by its Hebrew abbreviation Magav , meaning border guard, whilst its members are colloquially known as Magavnikim . Border Guard is often used as the official name of the...
roadblock, which was set in advance to secure the popular Haoman 17
Haoman 17
Haoman 17 is a chain of nightclubs in Israel.Haoman 17 in Jerusalem has been rated one of the top night clubs in the world. International DJs often play at the club, which is open on Thursday and Friday nights.- History :...
nightclub Tel Aviv, one of Tel Aviv's most popular nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s. The club was holding an end-of-summer celebration at the time and according to an estimation of Aharon Aksul, the head of the Tel Aviv police district, the club consisted of above 1,000 teenagers at the time of the attack.
According to the testimonies of the people present at the scene, initially the incident was perceived as an accident, but soon after when the attacker rushed out of the vehicle with his knife and began stabbing random people while shouting "Allahu Akbar" (common Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic Arabic expression which usually translated "God
God in Islam
In Islamic theology, God is the all-powerful and all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique and inherently One , all-merciful and omnipotent. According to the Islamic...
is [the] Greatest," or "God is Great"), it became clear to everyone at the scene that this was a terror attack.
The attacker managed to stab a few bystanders before the Border Police team at the site managed to wrestle the attacker to the ground and arrest him.
Around 3 am the security forces at the site began evacuating the teenagers from the club.
In total eight people were injured in the attack, three of them seriously. The Injured include four policemen, and four four civilians. The civilians injured in the stabbing attacks suffered from cuts in their heads, limbs and abdomen.
The perpetrator
After the attack, during the police investigation, it was revealed that perpetrator was a 20-year-old Palestinian named Muhammad Sa’afan whom originated from NablusNablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. In the initial investigation the attacker insisted that he initiated, planned and prepared for the attack by himself, and that he bought the knife specifically for the stabbing attack and for the taxi robbery. Nevertheless, the Israeli security establishment attempted, among other things, to figure out whether the perpetrator acted alone or whether he operated under the instructions and assistance of a terror organization.
According to a police official in Tel Aviv, the attacker has received preliminary information about the big party which took place at the "Haoman 17" nightclub during that specific time. The police official also stated "no one arrives by chance to such an event by chance to carry out a stabling attack at that late hour, unless one has preliminary information".
Official reactions
Involved parties Israel:
- Israel's interior security minister praised the police response, stating "the message of this event is that the police officers are the bullet-proof vest that prevents terror attacks against teenagers."
- Israeli security officials expressed concern regarding how easily the suspect was able to reach Tel Aviv and that casualties could have been higher without the nearby roadblock. There was also fear of further attacks spurred by the end of Ramadan and the pending United Nations General Assembly vote on Palestinian independence.
Palestinian territories:
- The Palestinian Authority condemned the attack. An official statement issued by the PA President's Office in Ramallah said, "The president condemns the attacking of civilians, including the event that took place in Tel Aviv this morning."
International – US State Department condemned the attack stating "the United States condemns in strongest terms yesterday's brutal attack on innocent civilians in Tel Aviv".
Aftermath
Although police requested that the suspect's custody be extended to 15 days following his arrest, the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court extended it to only 10 days. The court hearing was held behind closed doors while the investigation was placed under a gag order.External links
- Terror Attack Outside Tel Aviv Nightclub Filled With 2,000 Teenagers – published on ABC NewsABC NewsABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
on August 29, 2011 - Timeline of south Tel Aviv terror attack – published on the Jerusalem Post on August 29, 2011
- Palestinian wounds seven Israelis in Tel Aviv attack – published on the BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
on August 29, 2011 - Palestinian Authority condemns Tel Aviv terror attack – published on YnetYnetYnet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
on August 29, 2011 - Terror attack in Tel Aviv leaves eight wounded – published on HaaretzHaaretzHaaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
on August 29, 2011 - US strongly condemns terror attack at Tel Aviv nightclub – published on the Jerusalem Post on August 30, 2011
- Israeli police: 7 wounded in Palestinian attack – published on The Associated Press on August 28, 2011
- Police: Man plows into Israeli checkpoint, goes on stabbing spree – published on CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
on August 29, 2011 - Nablus man who attacked TA club named as Muhammad Sa’afan – published on the Jerusalem Post on August 29, 2011