This day in 1997: Three simultaneous Palestinian suicide bombings at Ben Yehuda Street, Jerusalem
on September 04, 2016
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The list of Palestinian suicide bombings targeting civilians is long and bloody, and dates back at least to 1989.
Documenting the pathology of Palestinian terror attacks, including suicide attacks, and telling the stories of the victims, has become a priority for me. I have previously covered, among others, the suicide bombings at Sbarro Pizzeria in Jerusalem, and Dolphinarium Disco and Mike's Place bar in Tel Aviv, and Bus 37 in Haifa.
On September 4, 1997, three suicide bombers targeted the Ben Yehuda Street pedestrian mall in Jerusalem in a coordinated attack just five weeks after another marketplace suicide bombing.
The NY Times reported at the time:
Three suicide bombers evidently acting in concert set off bombs on a popular shopping promenade in Jerusalem today, killing four passers-by and themselves and dealing a brutal new blow to the reeling Israeli-Palestinian peace. The three explosions followed in quick succession at about 3:10 P.M. on Ben Yehuda Street, a shady pedestrian thoroughfare in West Jerusalem lined with boutiques and outdoor cafes, and packed with Israelis and foreign tourists.
We followed up when the Hamas cell responsible for the attack was captured, and its leader killed when he engaged in a firefight,





