Suicide Bomber Kills At Least Nine People in Tel Aviv
Attack Carried Out During Passover Underscores Links Between Islamic Jihad, Iran and Hamas

At least nine people were killed and more than 60 injured by a suicide bomber who struck a falafel stand at 1:30 p.m. Monday in Tel Aviv's Neve Sha'anan neighborhood near the city's old central bus station. By early evening, 15 civilians were in critical condition and two children were lightly injured in the attack. [1] 

The Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, the armed wing of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah group, both claimed responsibility for the attack. The bomber has been identified as Sami Salim Hamad, an Islamic Jihad militant from the village of Qabatiyah, near the West Bank city of Jenin. [2]

The explosion ripped through the Rosh Ha'Ir restaurant for the second time in three months. On Jan. 19, 2006, an Islamic Jihad bomber detonated an explosives belt at the same location, wounding 32 people. [3] Islamic Jihad has been responsible for the last six suicide bombings perpetrated inside Israel and the West Bank; today's attack was the first to occur under the new Hamas-led Palestinian Authority (P.A.) leadership. [4]

The attack occurred two hours before the inauguration of Israel's 17th Knesset and during the Passover holiday vacation. 

Background

On Saturday, Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Shallah said the militant group was making "nonstop efforts" to infiltrate suicide bombers from the West Bank into Israel. Shallah's statements appeared on the group's Web site before an Iranian fundraising event for the Palestinians that commenced in Tehran. From exile in Syria, Shallah emphasized that the group will fight alongside Iran if attacked by the U.S. or Israel. [5] The conference was attended by an estimated 600 Palestinian militants. [6]

Iran provides an estimated $2 million of state-sponsored funding to PIJ annually. [7]

Both terrorist groups are designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the United States, the European Union (E.U.), Canada, and Australia. In 1995, Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Shallah was listed as a Specially Designated Terrorist by the U.S. [8]

Shallah's statement coincided with Iran's pledge to offer $50 million in aid to help the Palestinian Hamas-led government. 

On Friday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made new incendiary remarks about Israel, stating that it was "heading towards annihilation" and calling the country "a dried-up, rotten tree that will be annihilated by one storm." Ahmadinejad also said "the existence of the Zionist regime" constitutes "an unending and unrestrained threat" to the Middle East. [9]

Syria spearheaded the Hamas fundraising initiative. President Bashar al-Assad promised in January to send funds to Hamas accounts and is urging leaders to subsidize Palestinian aid withdrawn by western donors. [10]  Syria is a long-time backer of Hamas and provides refuge to the group's primary leader outside of the West Bank and Gaza, Khaled Mashaal.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have both said they will continue to financially assist the Hamas-led P.A.

Passover attacks averted last week

On Wednesday, the eve of Passover, security forces were on high alert, with 70 identified terror warnings. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) uncovered a large PIJ explosives lab near the West Bank city of Jenin containing more than 30 kilograms of explosives and bomb-making materials. [11]

On the same day, in Gaza, Israel security forces killed two Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade militants carrying assault rifles as they tried to enter Israel through the security fence along the border with Gaza. The men also were equipped with ammunition clips, grenades, a two-way radio and barbed-wire cutters. Palestinian security forces said the two men were en route to plant bombs. Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, last collaborated March 9 when they both claimed responsibility for launching rockets into the Israeli city of Sderot. [12]

Also on Wednesday, the IDF arrested a Palestinian carrying an axe and a handgun in the Jordan Valley.

Second Passover suicide attack in recent past

Monday's bombing marks the second time in four years that Israel has suffered a terrorist attack during Passover.

On March 27, 2002, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb inside a hotel in Netanya, killing 29 people and wounding more than 150 others who had gathered for the ritual Passover meal that commemorates the Jews' exodus from Egypt.

The terrorist group Hamas, which won the majority of seats in recent Palestinian parliamentary elections, claimed responsibility for the attack. The bomber, 25-year-old Abdel Bassat-Odeh, was hailed as a hero by many Palestinians in his West Bank home town of Tulkarem. A year later, the four Hamas members who planned the massacre were sentenced to 29 life terms and another 20 years in prison.

Foreign aid to P.A. halted

Less than a month ago, communication with the Palestinian Authority P.A. was encouraged and financial transactions with the Palestinian government were innocuous.  As recent as Feb. 27, the European Commission (E.C.) agreed to release €120 million ($148 million) in emergency aid to the Palestinians; only €17.5 million ($21.6 million) of this total amount was allocated directly to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah-led government. [13]

However, since the Hamas-led P.A. was sworn into power on March 29, the Palestinians' primary financial backers have frozen government-designated funds.

The European Union on April 10 tentatively ceased direct financial aid for the new Hamas-led government. Earlier this month, Canada and the U.S. also revoked assistance to the P.A. Israel's Bank Leumi and Bank Hapoalim have closed any questionable P.A.-related accounts. [14]

The E.U., comprised of 25 member-states, is the single largest annual financial backer of the P.A. and was the third chief P.A. donor to suspend assistance. Canada was the first benefactor to take such a measure, followed by the United States.

On March 30, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay announced that his government was cutting all ties with the P.A., including monetary assistance. [15]  The U.S. State Department sent a similar message to the terrorist entity when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated on April 7 that assistance intended for the P.A. Cabinet and government ministries would come to a halt. [16]

The E.U. Council of Ministers concluded on April 10 that aid stipulations to the P.A. will continue to be reviewed due to Hamas' refusal to agree to the three stipulations for international cooperation set by the Quartet on Jan. 30: recognition of Israel, cessation of violence and acceptance of previous peace agreements. [17]

Following the E.U.'s decision to suspend aid, the United Nations and the World Bank announced on April 14 that both organizations would limit diplomatic ties with the Hamas-led P.A. [18] The U.S. Treasury Department has in the meantime prohibited U.S. companies from conducting business transactions with the P.A., unless given proper approval. [19]

Despite the cuts in foreign aid to the Hamas-led P.A. government, all three major international donors are continuing to allocate aid to non-governmental organizations that are providing for Palestinian humanitarian needs.

[1] Jpost.com staff, "Suicide bomber strikes near TA Old Central bus station," Jerusalem Post , April 17, 2006.

[2] Harel, Amos, Regular, Arnon, Reznik, Dan, Haaretz Service and news agencies, "Seven killed, dozens hurt in Tel Aviv suicide bombing," Haaretz , April 17, 2006, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/706785.html

[3] "9 killed in Tel Aviv blast," Ynet News , April 17, 2006, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3240687,00.html

[4] Harel, Amos, Regular, Arnon, Reznik, Dan, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and news agencies, "Seven killed, dozens hurt in Tel Aviv suicide bombing," Haaretz , April 17, 2006, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/706785.html

[5] "Islamic Jihad Arab-Muslim terrorists vow aid to Iran's mullah's if it is attacked," Persian Journal , April 15, 2006, http://www.iranian.ws/iran_news/publish/article_14883.shtml

[6] Fathi, Nazila, "Iran and Qatar promise $50 million apiece in aid for Palestinian government," New York Times , April 17, 2006, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/17/world/17cnd-iran.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[7] National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism Knowledge Base: Quick Facts, http://tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=82, accessed April 17, 2006

[8] "Key leader profile: Abdullah Ramadan Shallah," Terrorism Knowledge Database , http://www.tkb.org/KeyLeader.jsp?memID=156 

[9] Melman, Yossi and agencies, "Ahmadinejad: Israel is 'rotten tree that will be annihilated,' http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/705978.html, Haaretz , April 16, 2006

[ 10] "Syria to raise funds for Palestinians," Al-Jazeera.net , Jan. 17, 2006, http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/05E0BD03-3EB6-4998-B538-D135FFF6481C.htm

[11] Harel, Amos, Regular, Arnon, "UN fails to draft statement on IDF raid in Gaza," Haaretz , April 14, 2002, http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/705416.html

[12] "Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Incident profile," Terrorism Knowledge Database,  http://www.tkb.org/Incident.jsp?incID=28459

[13] "Commission unveils €120 million package for the Palestinians," European Commission, Rapid, [Ref. IP/06/235], Feb. 27, 2006, http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/06/235&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

[14] Levy, Tal, & Haaretz correspondents, "Economic disengagement: Banks cut ties with PA," Haaretz , April 5, 2006, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/702515.html

[15] "Joint statement by Minister MacKay and Minister Verner on new Palestinian government and assistance to the Palestinian people," Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, News Release No. 30, March 29, 2006, http://w01.international.gc.ca/minpub/Publication.asp?publication_id=383817&Language=E

[16] Rice, Secretary Condoleezza, "Statement on Palestinian assistance," U.S. Department of State [2006/355], April 7, 2006, http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2006/64237.htm

[17] "Council conclusions on Middle East peace process," Council of the European Union, [2723rd External Relations Council Meeting], April 11, 2006, http://ue.eu.int/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/gena/89215.pdf

[18] Haaretz Service, "UN ends unrestricted political contacts with Palestinians," Haaretz , April 14, 2006, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/705261.html

[19] "U.S. business ban on Hamas-led P.A.," BBC News , April 14, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4910860.stm

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