Monday 9 March 2020

ON THIS DAY IN 2002, CORBYN'S MATES...

Hamas bombed a café in Jerusalem, killing eleven civilians and injuring 54 others.  It was Saturday night and the Café Moment was rammed with young people.  The suicide bomber entered the premises at 22:30 and immediately detonated his explosives, completely gutting the ground floor.  Ten of those killed were in their twenties and included a waitress on her first shift and an engaged couple due to be married two months later.

Despite the threat of terrorism, the café was largely considered safe as it was situated across the road from the Prime Minister's residence.  The mother of one of the victims later described how she urged her daughter not to go out as the threat level was so high, but she replied: "Don't worry, I am going to the safest place there is, across from the prime minister's residence".  Livnat Dvash perished along with two of her friends.

The paramilitary wing of Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.  In August 2002 the terror cell responsible were apprehended in east Jerusalem.  The terrorists were behind several attacks that resulted in a total of 35 deaths.  They were released from prison in 2011 as part of the prisoner exchange for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Forensic teams sift through the wreckage

The eleven fatalities of the Café Moment bombing were as follows.

Limor Ben-Shohan, 27, from Jerusalem.  A shop assistant, she was survived by her parents and four siblings.
Nir Borochiv, 22, from Givat Ze'ev.  A mechanic, he was killed along with two of his friends.  He was survived by his parents and four siblings.
Danit Dagan, 25, from Tel Aviv.  A travel agent, she was killed alongside her fiancé Uri Felix.  The pair were due to be married two months later.  Danit was survived by her parents and three siblings.
Uri Felix, 25, from Givat Ze'ev.  A security guard, he was killed alongside his fiancée Danit Dagan.  He was survived by his parents and elder sister.
Livnat Dvash, 28, from Jerusalem.  She was killed along with two of her friends and survived by her parents and two siblings.
Tali Eliyahu, 26, from Jerusalem.  A waitress at the café on her first shift.  She was survived by her parents and siblings.
Dan Imani, 23, from Jerusalem.  A shop worker, he was killed along with two of his friends.  He was survived by his parents and three siblings.
Natanel Kochavi, 31, from Kiryat Ata.  A law student, he was survived by his parents and six siblings.
Baruch Lerner-Naor, 28, from Eli.  A security guard, he was survived by his parents.
Orit Ozarov, 28, from Jerusalem.  A government employee in the Foreign Ministry, she was survived by her parents and younger brother.
Avraham Haim Rahamim, 29, from Jerusalem.  An IT worker, he was survived by his parents and four siblings.

The eleven victims of the Café Moment bombing