Passover suicide bombing at Park Hotel in Netanya
March 27, 2002
Passover Massacre
©2002 Reuters/Havakuk Levison
Bodies of several of the victims
©2002 Reuters/Laszlo Balogh
The hotel dining room in Netanya
after the bombing
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Thirty people were killed and 140 injured - 20 seriously - in a suicide bombing in the Park Hotel in the coastal city of Netanya, in the midst of the Passover holiday seder with 250 guests. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.
The terrorist walked into the dining room of the hotel, in the center of the city, and detonated an explosive device. The terrorist was identified as Abdel-Basset Odeh, a member of the Hamas Iz a Din al-Kassam Brigades, from the West Bank city of Tulkarem, which is just 10 kilometers (six miles) east of Netanya. He was on the list of wanted terrorists Israel had requested be arrested.
A year later, on April 14, the four Palestinian Hamas terrorists who planned the Park Hotel Passover massacre in Netanya were sentenced to 29 life terms and another 20 years in prison.
The victims:
- Shula Abramovitch, 63, of Holon
- David Anichovitch, 70, of Netanya
- Sgt.-Maj. Avraham Beckerman, 25, of Ashdod
- Shimon Ben-Aroya, 42, of Netanya
- Alter Britvich, 88, of Netanya
- Frieda Britvich, 86, of Netanya
- Andre Fried, 47, of Netanya
- Idit Fried, 47, of Netanya
- Miriam Gutenzgan, 82, Ramat Gan
- Amiram Hamami, 44, of Netanya
- Perla Hermele, 79, of Sweden
- Dvora Karim, 73, of Netanya
- Michael Karim, 78, of Netanya
- Eliezer Korman, 74, of Ramat Hasharon
- Yehudit Korman, 70, of Ramat Hasharon
- Marianne Myriam Lehmann Zaoui, 77, of Netanya
- Lola Levkovitch, 70, of Jerusalem
- Sarah Levy-Hoffman, 89, of Tel-Aviv
- Furuk Na'imi, 62, of Netanya
- Eliahu Nakash, 85, of Tel-Aviv
- Chanah Rogan, 90, of Netanya
- Irit Rashel, 45, of Moshav Herev La'et
- Clara Rosenberger, 77, of Jerusalem
- Yulia Talmi, 87, of Tel-Aviv
- St.-Sgt. Sivan Vider, 20, of Bekaot
- Zee'v Vider, 50, of Moshav Bekaot
- Ernest Weiss, 80, of Petah Tikva
- Eva Weiss, 75, of Petah Tikva
- Anna Yakobovitch, 78, of Holon
- George Yakobovitch, 76, of Holon.
The Israeli response:
Statement by PM Sharon following Cabinet Meeting - Mar 29, 2002
Reaction of FM Peres to Passover suicide bombing - Mar 28, 2002
Letter from Israel Ambassador Lancry to UN
Secretary-General Annan - Mar 27, 2002
Reactions of world leaders:
US President Bush (Mar 27):
"This callous, cold blooded killing, must stop... I call upon Mr. Arafat and the Palestinian Authority to do everything in their power to stop the
terrorist killing because there are people in the Middle East who
would rather kill than have peace." (Full text)
Secy of State Powell (Mar 27):
"This is the time for Chairman Arafat to speak to his people, to tell them that they are destroying
their own desire and vision for a Palestinian state living side by
side in peace with Israel, behind secure and recognizable borders." (Full text)
UN Secretary-General Annan (Mar 28):
The Secretary-General condemned suicide bombings against Israeli civilians as "morally repugnant": "Last night's heartless and indiscriminate attack in Netanya was an especially appalling example of this phenomenon. This is terrorism, and it greatly damages the Palestinian cause." (Full text)
News reports:
Death toll in Seder blast up to 21 - Ha'aretz, Mar 29, 2002
Bomber evaded police cordon and guard - Ha'aretz, Mar 29, 2002
A fateful family gathering of strangers - Ha'aretz, Mar 29, 2002