Suicide Terrorist Strikes Tel Aviv Market; At Least 3 Dead

Nov. 1, 2004
Arutz Sheva

A suicide terrorist entered Tel Aviv’s crowded Carmel Vegetable Market and detonated his charge just after 11:15 AM near a vegetable stand. Three people were murdered in the attack.

Four to six people are reportedly in serious condition as a result of the blast while some 30 others were moderately and lightly wounded.

A Carmel market vegetable stand owner Yair Levy said: “After the blast, we left our stands and ran towards the scene of the attack to see how we could help. Some people had gone into shock, and the first thing we did was evacuate them from the area in case another blast was to go off. We do not fear coming to work here. Life must continue. We have no complaints against the police or their work.”

A 36-year-old market employee Dror was wounded in the attack. He spoke of his condition and what transpired:

“I have a terribly loud ring in my ears and slight pain in my back. I was 10 meters away from the suicide terrorist. He was at a cheese booth right across from my meat stand. It was the hour that the market is packed with people. I heard the blast, and an object hit me. I couldn’t identify exactly what hit me, because pieces of the booth flew in all directions... I will return to the market and continue to work when I can.”

Both Arabs and Jews work side by side in the Carmel vegetable market.

The terrorist targeted the southern part of the market near the intersection of Ramban and HaCarmel streets. Based on the damages caused to the vicinity, eye-witnesses are saying that the explosive device was not a medium-sized one. A Bomb Squad expert said that the crowded and closed-in nature of the market vicinity intensified the effect of the explosion.

Askar Neighborhood of Shechem

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror gang, based in Shechem, claimed responsibility for the attack. The terrorist apparently departed for the attack from Shechem, 30 miles northeast of Tel Aviv. The Arabs have identified the bomber as being a resident of the Askar slum in northern Shechem. The PFLP is not considered an Islamic group, rather a nationalist Arab gang. At the time of its founding in the early 1960’s by George Habash, many Christian Arabs were part of the PFLP. Today, however, few non-Moslems belong.

The Prime Minister was in the Knesset plenum at the time of the attack participating in a discussion of his planned dismantling of Jewish towns in Gaza and Northern Samaria and their transfer to Arab rule. He was apprised of the attack in the midst of the Knesset debate by way of a note passed to him from his aides.

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