The Bus on Jaffa Road : A Story of Middle East Terrorism and the Search for Justice

As the morning sunlight crept over the limestone walls of Jerusalem's old city, two young Americans flagged down a bus and got on. It was 6:45 am, February 25, 1996--an otherwise ordinary Sunday in Israel. Sara Duker and Matthew Eisenfeld settled into their seats as the door closed on Jerusalem's Number 18 bus which would take them across the spine of this ancient city of hills. On this day, they had risen earlier than normal in the hope of touring an archaeological site. After a few more stops, their bus turned on Jerusalem's Jaffa Road and rolled up a slight hill and stopped again. A young man, who seemed to be a student and was carrying a black duffle bag, got on. No one paid much attention to him, witnesses said later. Students carrying duffle bags or backpacks are a common sight in Jerusalem. But this man was no student. He took a seat. After several more stops, he stood and pushed a button attached to his duffle bag--and set off a huge bomb. Sara and Matthew died in the explosion. So did 24 others, along with the bomber. Their grieving families of the Americans set out to get answers and justice. So begins the story of "The Bus on Jaffa Road." The narrative weaves from the streets of Jerusalem to a West Bank refugee camp to the White House, the Congress and a U.S. courtroom where the victims' families filed a lawsuit against Iran for financing the bombing--then to a prison in the Negev desert in Israel where the author confronts the man who build the bomb on the Jaffa Road bus. It is a story that prefigures many of the difficulties of America's "war on terrorism" and reminds us of the intractable nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that continues to this day. As the morning sunlight crept over the limestone walls of Jerusalem's old city, two young Americans flagged down a bus and got on. It was 6:45 a.m., February 25, 1996 -- an otherwise ordinary Sunday in Israel. Two US citizens who were studying in Israel, Sara Duker and Matthew Eisenfeld, settled into their seats as the door closed on Jerusalem's Number 18 bus which would take them across the spine of this ancient city of hills. On this day, they had risen earlier than normal in the hope of spending the day touring an archeological site. After a few more stops, their bus turned on Jerusalem's Jaffa Road and rolled up a slight hill and stopped again. A young man, dressed as a student and carrying a duffle bag, got on. No one paid much attention to him, witnesses said later. Young men with duffle bags or backpacks are a common sight in Jerusalem, especially early on Sundays, as many students and soldiers, who had gone home for the weekend, returned to their college campuses or military bases. But this man was not a student. As the bus door closed, he reached into his duffle bag and pressed a button – and set off a huge bomb. Sara and Matthew died instantly. So did 22 others, including the bomber. Their grieving families discovered that Iran had financed the bombing that killed their children as well as others that preceded it. The families eventually filed a lawsuit in U.S. courts against Iran, asking for money from Iranian assets that had been frozen in the U.S. since the late 1970s. They won a judgment of $327 million against the Iranian assets. However, the U.S. government blocked their efforts to collect damages.'The Bus on Jaffa Road'is the story of one act of terror and what happened afterwards. It offers many lessons -- and warnings -- about the current war on terrorism that has dominated US politics. As the morning sunlight crept over the limestone walls of Jerusalem's old city, two young Americans flagged down a bus and got on. It was 6:45 am, February 25, 1996—an otherwise ordinary Sunday in Israel. Sara Duker and Matthew Eisenfeld settled into their seats as the door closed on Jerusalem's Number 18 bus which would take them across the spine of this ancient city of hills. On this day, they had risen earlier than normal in the hope of touring an archaeological site. After a few more stops, their bus turned on Jerusalem's Jaffa Road and rolled up a slight hill and stopped again. A young man, who seemed to be a student and was carrying a black duffle bag, got on. No one paid much attention to him, witnesses said later. Students carrying duffle bags or backpacks are a common sight in Jerusalem. But this man was no student. He took a seat. After several more stops, he stood and pushed a button attached to his duffle bag—and set off a huge bomb. Sara and Matthew died... Number of Words in Auth: 2 Formats : EPUB Number of Formats : 1 Has Cover : Yes Single Author : Mike Kelly Original Source : Mirc New Files 02 08 I A Sorted Author by LN, FN: Kelly, Mike Title Length : 017 Title Parm D : Bus on Jaffa Road Title Parm F : Bus on Jaffa Road Title Parm A : Bus on Jaffa Road Title Parm B : ( Record ID : 3578 Uncomma Author : Mike Kelly Num of Aut : 1 On February 25, 1996, Sara Duker and Matthew Eisenfeld, an American couple visiting Israel and who had just secretly become engaged, were on Jerusalem's Number 18 bus on the city's Jaffa Road. At a stop, a young man carrying an Israeli army backpack got on, but wasn't an Israeli soldier. He reached into his knapsack, pulled a cord, and set off a huge bomb. Sara and Matthew, the bomber, and 21 others, died instantly. Their grieving families set out to get answers and justice. They discovered that Iran had financed the bombing as well as others that preceded it. They filed a lawsuit in U.S. courts against Iran, asking for money from Iranian assets that had been frozen in the U.S. since the late 1970s. They won a judgment of 327 million against the Iranian assets. The U.S. government blocked their efforts to collect damages. The families have not give up "On February 25, 1996, Sara Duker and Matthew Eisenfeld, an American couple visiting Israel and who had just secretly become engaged, were on Jerusalem's Number 18 bus on the city's Jaffa Road. At a stop, a young man carrying an Israeli army backpack got on, but wasn't an Israeli soldier. He reached into his knapsack, pulled a cord, and set off a huge bomb. Sara and Matthew, the bomber, and 21 others, died instantly. Their grieving families set out to get answers and justice. They discovered that Iran had financed the bombing as well as others that preceded it. They filed a lawsuit in U.S. cour."-- Provided by the publisher In 1996, On An Ordinary Sunday In Israel, Two Young Americans Flagged Down A Bus And Got On. After A Suicide Bomber Got On And Pushed The Botton In His Duffel Bag, His Bomb Exploded, Killing The Two Americans And 24 Others. As Grieving Families Discover That Iran Had Financed The Bombing, They Filed A Lawsuit Against Iran And Won A Judgment Against Iranian Assests. The Families Have Not Given Up In Their Search For Justice. Mike Kelly. Includes Bibliographic References And Index.