January 18, 2002

Let's Roll Redux This item

Let's Roll Redux

This item is primarily about the Israeli retaliatory strike, but it includes a dramatic account of the resistance to the bat mitzvah attack:

about 100 people were inside a banquet hall celebrating a bat mitzvah, or Jewish coming of age ceremony. Several beat the attacker with a chair and bottles and later dragged him outside where he was shot by police. Among the dead was the grandfather of the girl celebrating her bat mitzvah.

"The terrorist came in the main door with an M-16 (assault rifle) at the height of the event and started shooting everywhere," said Shimon Asraf, one of owners of Armon David or David's Palace hall.

Moti Hasson said he was dancing when he heard the shooting.

"When I saw the Arab I ran toward him with a chair," said Hasson, a truck driver. "I threw the chair at him."

Hasson said he hit the attacker in the face with the chair while other people threw bottles at him. Others dove under tables. Some people shouted in fright.

After Hasson hit the attacker, the man's gun jammed.

"His gun just stopped shooting," said Hasson, who was standing outside the banquet hall wearing a sweat shirt and carrying a bag of the clothes he wore during the attack, which were soaked with the gunman's blood.

Eliahu Iskov said he saw the attacker on the floor, apparently unconscious from the beating, and grabbed him by the foot to drag his body outside of the banquet hall.

"I thought that he had explosives strapped to his body and would explode," Iskov said. "I though if he exploded it would be best if he exploded outside."

Other people pulled tablecloths from the banquet tables and wrapped the wounded in them so they could quickly take them outside in case there were explosions.

Posted by Dr. Frank at January 18, 2002 11:14 AM | TrackBack