Kiryat HaYovel supermarket bombing
Encyclopedia
The Kiryat HaYovel supermarket bombing was a suicide bombing which occurred on March 29, 2002 in which Ayat al-Akhras
, an 18-year-old Palestinian female suicide bomber, blew herself up at the entrance of Kiryat HaYovel's main supermarket
, killing two people and injuring 28. Hamas
claimed responsibility for the attack.
Haim Smadar
, the 55-year-old security guard who guarded the entrance to the supermarket and spoke Arabic, became suspicious after two Arabic women who usually sold vegetables outside the shop entrance had been told by Akhras to leave. Akhras detonated the explosives at the entrance to the store while struggling with the Smadar, killing him and Rachel Levy
, a 17 year-old Israeli girl. In addition, about 30 people were injured in the attack. Smadar managed to forcefully keep her away from the crowd, thus preventing a larger loss of life had the attack taken place inside the store.
After the attack, it was discovered that the suicide bomber carried a mortar bomb she never used.
claimed responsibility for the attack and identified the suicide bomber as 18-year-old Ayat al-Akhras
from the Deheishe Refugee Camp near Bethlehem
. al-Akhras was the third female suicide bomber
of the Al-Aqsa Intifada
.
Akhras was raised in the Deheishe Refugee Camp near Bethlehem
, the daughter of Palestinian refugees who themselves grew up in a tent camp in the Gaza Strip
. According to Newsweek
journalist Joshua Hammer, Akhras's parents "fled from Arab villages near Tel Aviv
at the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
. After Israel won the 1967 war and took control of Gaza
, Akhras' parents migrated to the Dehaishe camp", described as "a maze of cinder-block buildings, refuse-strewn alleyways and open sewers". Akhras' father found employment with an Israeli construction firm and was able to build a three-story concrete house, where Akhras and her four brothers and six sisters were raised. Akhras was a straight-A student and had hopes of attending college and becoming a news reporter. In 2001 she became engaged and plans were made for a wedding in July 2002.
During the First Intifada
which started in 1987, Akhras' oldest brother was jailed twice for attacking Israeli soldiers, and Akhras became fiercely politicized. During the Al-Aqsa Intifada
or Second Intifada which started in 2000, members of her family were wounded and killed by the Israel Defense Forces
. On March 8, 2002, a close friend and neighbor of Akhras that was playing with his toddler was hit by a stray bullet fired by Israeli troops as they were on a counter-terrorism
operation.
This killing was the apparent trigger for Akhras' attempts to join one of the Palestinian resistance groups . She first tried to join the ranks of Hamas
, which turned her away because of a long standing policy against allowing females to fight in physical combat. Hamas, which has claimed responsibility for many suicide bombings in Israel says that the basis for this rule lies in teachings of the Qur'an
that says Jihad
is the domain of the male. Despite this, Hamas and the Palestine Islamic Jihad (which generally also only recruits males) have since each used female suicide bombers. In 2002, the spiritual leader of Hamas, Sheik Ahmed Yassin made a statement to the press after Akhras' bombing saying that the group would only use women after they ran out of men.
However, Akhras found a group that would accept her: the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades
, a group linked to the armed branch of Fatah
(Yasser Arafat
's party), more secular than Hamas
. The group already had experience, using at least three other women successfully in suicide bombings against Israel before Akhras. She joined the group and was destined by its leader to be a suicide bomber. She was trained several week before being sent to the Kiryat HaYovel supermarket in south-western Jerusalem.
Before her attack, Akhras, like many other Palestinian suicide bombers, made a video
in which she lashed out at the regimes and militaries of Muslim nations throughout the world. She said: "I say to the Arab leaders, stop sleeping. Stop failing to fulfill your duty. Shame on the Arab armies who are sitting and watching the girls of Palestine fight while they are asleep."
Israel:
Palestinian territories:
International – US president condemned the attack and stated "When an 18-year-old Palestinian girl is induced to blow herself up, and in the process kills a 17-year-old Israeli girl, the future itself is dying, the future of the Palestinian people and the future of the Israeli people"
In 2007 HBO released the documentary film "To Die in Jerusalem
" which focuses on the stories of the 18-year-old Palestinian suicide bomber Ayat al-Akhras and her 17 year-old Israeli victim Rachel Levy. The film documents the efforts of Rachel's mother Avigail Levy to meet with Um Samir al-Akhras, the mother of al-Akhras.
Ayat al-Akhras
Ayat al-Akhras was the third and youngest Palestinian female suicide bomber who, at age 18 , killed herself and two Israeli civilians on March 29, 2002 by detonating explosives belted to her body...
, an 18-year-old Palestinian female suicide bomber, blew herself up at the entrance of Kiryat HaYovel's main supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
, killing two people and injuring 28. Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack
On Friday, 29 March 2002, during the afternoon, a Palestinian 18-year-old female suicide bomber approached the Kiryat Yovel supermarket in Jerusalem. The supermarket at the time was full of dozens of customers who were shopping their groceries for the weekend.Haim Smadar
Haim Smadar
Haim Smadar was an Israeli security guard who was killed while preventing a female suicide bomber from the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades from entering a supermarket in the Kiryat Yovel neighborhood of Jerusalem on March 29, 2002.-Biography:...
, the 55-year-old security guard who guarded the entrance to the supermarket and spoke Arabic, became suspicious after two Arabic women who usually sold vegetables outside the shop entrance had been told by Akhras to leave. Akhras detonated the explosives at the entrance to the store while struggling with the Smadar, killing him and Rachel Levy
Rachel Levy
Rachel Levy was killed at age 17 on March 29, 2002 when Ayat al-Akhras, a teenage Palestinian female suicide bomber, wearing a belt of explosives around her waist, blew herself up at the entrance to a supermarket in Jerusalem's Kiryat Hayovel neighborhood on March 29, 2002...
, a 17 year-old Israeli girl. In addition, about 30 people were injured in the attack. Smadar managed to forcefully keep her away from the crowd, thus preventing a larger loss of life had the attack taken place inside the store.
After the attack, it was discovered that the suicide bomber carried a mortar bomb she never used.
Fatalities
- Haim SmadarHaim SmadarHaim Smadar was an Israeli security guard who was killed while preventing a female suicide bomber from the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades from entering a supermarket in the Kiryat Yovel neighborhood of Jerusalem on March 29, 2002.-Biography:...
, 55, of Jerusalem – Smadar was originally born in TunisTunisTunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
. He immigratedAliyahAliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to Israel as a child. Smadar worked a guard at a school for autistic children. He took the temporary security job at the Kiryat HaYovel ShufersalShufersalShufersal , commonly known as Super-Sal, is the largest supermarket chain in Israel. In 2009, Shufersal had 240 stores and 10,000 employees. Shufersal stock is traded on the Tel Aviv stock market and appears on the Tel Aviv 100 index.-History:...
supermarket to make extra money for the upcoming PassoverPassoverPassover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
holiday while school was closed. - Rachel LevyRachel LevyRachel Levy was killed at age 17 on March 29, 2002 when Ayat al-Akhras, a teenage Palestinian female suicide bomber, wearing a belt of explosives around her waist, blew herself up at the entrance to a supermarket in Jerusalem's Kiryat Hayovel neighborhood on March 29, 2002...
, 17, of Jerusalem – Levy grew up in the United States from the age of six months until the age of nine. Levy majored in photography at the "Ziv" high school in the Beit HaKerem neighborhood in southwest Jerusalem.
The perpetrator
HamasHamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
claimed responsibility for the attack and identified the suicide bomber as 18-year-old Ayat al-Akhras
Ayat al-Akhras
Ayat al-Akhras was the third and youngest Palestinian female suicide bomber who, at age 18 , killed herself and two Israeli civilians on March 29, 2002 by detonating explosives belted to her body...
from the Deheishe Refugee Camp near Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
. al-Akhras was the third female suicide bomber
Female suicide bomber
Though the majority of suicide bombers have been male, female suicide bombers have carried out a number of attacks.-History:Female suicide bombers have been employed in several conflicts, by a variety of organizations, against both military and civilian targets.*In Lebanon on April 9, 1985, Sana'a...
of the Al-Aqsa Intifada
Al-Aqsa Intifada
The Second Intifada, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada and the Oslo War, was the second Palestinian uprising, a period of intensified Palestinian-Israeli violence, which began in late September 2000...
.
Akhras was raised in the Deheishe Refugee Camp near Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
, the daughter of Palestinian refugees who themselves grew up in a tent camp in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. According to Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
journalist Joshua Hammer, Akhras's parents "fled from Arab villages near 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...
at the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
. After Israel won the 1967 war and took control of Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
, Akhras' parents migrated to the Dehaishe camp", described as "a maze of cinder-block buildings, refuse-strewn alleyways and open sewers". Akhras' father found employment with an Israeli construction firm and was able to build a three-story concrete house, where Akhras and her four brothers and six sisters were raised. Akhras was a straight-A student and had hopes of attending college and becoming a news reporter. In 2001 she became engaged and plans were made for a wedding in July 2002.
During the First Intifada
First Intifada
The First Intifada was a Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories. The uprising began in the Jabalia refugee camp and quickly spread throughout Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem....
which started in 1987, Akhras' oldest brother was jailed twice for attacking Israeli soldiers, and Akhras became fiercely politicized. During the Al-Aqsa Intifada
Al-Aqsa Intifada
The Second Intifada, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada and the Oslo War, was the second Palestinian uprising, a period of intensified Palestinian-Israeli violence, which began in late September 2000...
or Second Intifada which started in 2000, members of her family were wounded and killed by the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
. On March 8, 2002, a close friend and neighbor of Akhras that was playing with his toddler was hit by a stray bullet fired by Israeli troops as they were on a counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
operation.
This killing was the apparent trigger for Akhras' attempts to join one of the Palestinian resistance groups . She first tried to join the ranks of Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
, which turned her away because of a long standing policy against allowing females to fight in physical combat. Hamas, which has claimed responsibility for many suicide bombings in Israel says that the basis for this rule lies in teachings of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
that says Jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
is the domain of the male. Despite this, Hamas and the Palestine Islamic Jihad (which generally also only recruits males) have since each used female suicide bombers. In 2002, the spiritual leader of Hamas, Sheik Ahmed Yassin made a statement to the press after Akhras' bombing saying that the group would only use women after they ran out of men.
However, Akhras found a group that would accept her: the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades
Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades
The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades is a coalition of Palestinian nationalist militias in the West Bank. The group's name refers to the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem...
, a group linked to the armed branch of Fatah
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
(Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
's party), more secular than Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
. The group already had experience, using at least three other women successfully in suicide bombings against Israel before Akhras. She joined the group and was destined by its leader to be a suicide bomber. She was trained several week before being sent to the Kiryat HaYovel supermarket in south-western Jerusalem.
Before her attack, Akhras, like many other Palestinian suicide bombers, made a video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
in which she lashed out at the regimes and militaries of Muslim nations throughout the world. She said: "I say to the Arab leaders, stop sleeping. Stop failing to fulfill your duty. Shame on the Arab armies who are sitting and watching the girls of Palestine fight while they are asleep."
Official reactions
Involved parties Israel: Palestinian territories:International – US president condemned the attack and stated "When an 18-year-old Palestinian girl is induced to blow herself up, and in the process kills a 17-year-old Israeli girl, the future itself is dying, the future of the Palestinian people and the future of the Israeli people"
Aftermath
The Saudi Ambassador to the UK, Dr Ghazi Abdul Rahman Algosaibi - a scholar and top politician in Saudi Arabia, wrote a controversial poem in praise of al-Akhras.In 2007 HBO released the documentary film "To Die in Jerusalem
To Die in Jerusalem
To Die in Jerusalem is a 2007 HBO documentary film about the effects of a March 29, 2002, Jerusalem suicide bombing on the families of the 17 year-old Israeli victim Rachel Levy and the 17 year-old Palestinian female suicide bomber, Ayat al-Akhras...
" which focuses on the stories of the 18-year-old Palestinian suicide bomber Ayat al-Akhras and her 17 year-old Israeli victim Rachel Levy. The film documents the efforts of Rachel's mother Avigail Levy to meet with Um Samir al-Akhras, the mother of al-Akhras.
External links
- The Role of Palestinian Women in Suicide Terrorism - published at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Female suicide bomber kills 2 at capital supermarket - published on the Jerusalem Post on March 31, 2002
- 18-year-old bride-to-be kills two in suicide attack - published on The ScotsmanThe ScotsmanThe Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
on March 30, 2002 - Schoolgirl suicide bomber kills two in supermarket - published on The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
on March 30, 2002 - Schoolgirl Suicide Bomber, 18, Kills 2 Israelis and Herself - published on The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
on March 30, 2002