Opened in 1981, the Dolphinarium was originally a mixed-use entertainment venue with the main attraction being shows of captive dolphins. The project was the initiative of architect Nahum Zolotov, who came up with the idea of a dolphin show in Tel Aviv and lined up Israeli businessmen and South African investors in support of his plan. The business ran into financial trouble after the South African investors were found to be using it as a money laundering operation and forced to leave the project. Without their financial support, the cost of running the expensive dolphin shows proved to be unsustainable and the business closed in 1985. The building was then used by a succession of businesses including nightclubs, movie theaters, catering halls, and sport shops, but with limited success. By 1993, the municipality was looking to demolish the structure.
Attack
Suicide bomber Saeed Hotari was standing in line on a Friday night in front of the Dolphinarium, when the area was packed with teenagers. Most of the crowd were young people from Russian-speaking families from the former Soviet Union, who were waiting for admission to a dance party at the Dolphin disco, and others were in line to enter the adjacent nightclub.[4] Survivors of the attack later described how the young Palestinian bomber appeared to taunt his victims before the explosion, wandering among them dressed in a disguise that led his victims to mistake him for an Orthodox Jew from Asia. Before detonating his bomb, he banged a drum packed with explosives and ball-bearings, while taunting his victims in Hebrew with the words "Something's going to happen".[5] At 23:27, he detonated his explosive device.[6] Witnesses claimed that body parts lay all over the area, and that bodies were piled one above another on the sidewalk before being collected. Many civilians in the vicinity of the bombing rushed to assist emergency services.
The suicide bombing followed a failed attack attempt on the same target five months earlier.[7]
Perpetrators
Both Islamic Jihad and a group calling itself "Hezbollah-Palestine" originally claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, only to later retract the claims.[8] Later on it was revealed that the attack was carried out by Saeed Hotari, aged 22, a militant allegedly linked to the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas.[9]
Official reactions
Israeli officials called the attack a "massacre".[10] President of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat condemned the attack and called for a cease-fire.[11]UN Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan stated that he "condemns this indiscriminate terrorist attack in the strongest possible terms." and that the attack "underlines the urgency of breaking the cycle of violence."[12]U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush stated that he condemns the attack in the strongest terms and that "There is no justification for senseless attacks against innocent civilians."[13]
Aftermath
Dolphinarium discotheque suicide bombing by Victor Brindatch oil on canvas painting size 100 cm × 130 cmA dolphin show at the dolphinarium in 1985
After the attack many in the Israeli public demanded a harsh military retaliation; nevertheless, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon decided to not take any immediate retaliatory actions. U.S. and other governments applied heavy diplomatic pressure on Israel to refrain from action.[11]
In Ramallah dozens of Palestinians celebrated in the streets and fired in the air as a sign of celebration.[4] The bomber, Saeed Hotari, was praised as a martyr by his father.[9] U.S. President George W. Bush demanded that Yasser Arafat condemn the terrorist act, which he did.[14] The next day, Israeli-Arabs barricaded themselves in the Hassan Bek Mosque opposite the Dolphinarium site and threw objects at the police.[15]
According to the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, an Israeli-based organization with close ties to the IDF, among the materials seized by the IDF in the course of Operation Defensive Shield were two documents issued by the Martyrs' Families and Injured Care Establishment, which is under the authority of the Palestinian National Authority's Ministry of Social Affairs. The documents detail the transfer of US$2,000 to the father of the suicide bomber, who was living in Jordan at that time (18 June 2001). According to the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, the transfer was made despite the suicide bomber's Hamas affiliation, his father's public support of the attack, and Arafat's public condemnation of it.[16][17]
Memorial
The ruins of the Dolphinarium in 2012; later demolished in 2018
After the bombing, the Dolphinarium discotheque was abandoned and ended up being covered with graffiti. Its final use was as a surfing school. The building remained on the Tel Aviv beachfront until its demolition in May 2018.[18]
For many years, the victims' families campaigned to permanently preserve the ruined building as a monument to the attack. Eventually, the building was demolished in order to extend the promenade along the coast.[19] Memorial services to the victims of the attack were held every year at the site by friends and family of the victims.[15]
See also
Shevah Mofet – high school in Tel Aviv where seven of the killed teenagers and many of the injured studied
Devotion, desire drive youths to 'martyrdom', USA Today; 26 June 2001
Driver of the Dolphinarium attack terrorist – charged with homicide, Ynet, 10 July 10, 2001 (in Hebrew)
October 27, 2023
dolphinarium, discotheque, massacre, june, 2001, hamas, affiliated, islamist, dubious, discuss, terrorist, blew, himself, outside, dolphinarium, discotheque, beachfront, aviv, israel, killing, israelis, whom, were, teenagers, majority, victims, were, israeli, . On 1 June 2001 a Hamas affiliated Islamist dubious discuss terrorist blew himself up outside the Dolphinarium discotheque on the beachfront in Tel Aviv Israel killing 21 Israelis 16 of whom were teenagers 1 2 3 The majority of the victims were Israeli teenage girls whose families had recently immigrated from the former Soviet Union Dolphinarium suicide bombingPart of the Second IntifadaThe attack sceneThe attack siteShow map of Tel AvivThe attack siteShow map of Central IsraelNative nameהפיגוע בדולפינריוםLocationTel Aviv IsraelCoordinates32 04 02 N 34 45 42 E 32 06722 N 34 76167 E 32 06722 34 76167DateJune 1 2001 22 years ago 2001 06 01 23 27 pm UTC 3 Attack typeSuicide bombingWeapon2 5 kilograms 5 5 lb explosive deviceDeaths21 1 attacker Injured100 PerpetratorsHamasAssailantSaeed HotariEnglish inscription on the back of the Dolphinarium massacre memorial Contents 1 Dolphinarium 2 Attack 3 Perpetrators 4 Official reactions 5 Aftermath 6 Memorial 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksDolphinariumOpened in 1981 the Dolphinarium was originally a mixed use entertainment venue with the main attraction being shows of captive dolphins The project was the initiative of architect Nahum Zolotov who came up with the idea of a dolphin show in Tel Aviv and lined up Israeli businessmen and South African investors in support of his plan The business ran into financial trouble after the South African investors were found to be using it as a money laundering operation and forced to leave the project Without their financial support the cost of running the expensive dolphin shows proved to be unsustainable and the business closed in 1985 The building was then used by a succession of businesses including nightclubs movie theaters catering halls and sport shops but with limited success By 1993 the municipality was looking to demolish the structure AttackSuicide bomber Saeed Hotari was standing in line on a Friday night in front of the Dolphinarium when the area was packed with teenagers Most of the crowd were young people from Russian speaking families from the former Soviet Union who were waiting for admission to a dance party at the Dolphin disco and others were in line to enter the adjacent nightclub 4 Survivors of the attack later described how the young Palestinian bomber appeared to taunt his victims before the explosion wandering among them dressed in a disguise that led his victims to mistake him for an Orthodox Jew from Asia Before detonating his bomb he banged a drum packed with explosives and ball bearings while taunting his victims in Hebrew with the words Something s going to happen 5 At 23 27 he detonated his explosive device 6 Witnesses claimed that body parts lay all over the area and that bodies were piled one above another on the sidewalk before being collected Many civilians in the vicinity of the bombing rushed to assist emergency services The suicide bombing followed a failed attack attempt on the same target five months earlier 7 PerpetratorsBoth Islamic Jihad and a group calling itself Hezbollah Palestine originally claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing only to later retract the claims 8 Later on it was revealed that the attack was carried out by Saeed Hotari aged 22 a militant allegedly linked to the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas 9 Official reactionsIsraeli officials called the attack a massacre 10 President of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat condemned the attack and called for a cease fire 11 UN Secretary General Kofi Annan stated that he condemns this indiscriminate terrorist attack in the strongest possible terms and that the attack underlines the urgency of breaking the cycle of violence 12 U S President George W Bush stated that he condemns the attack in the strongest terms and that There is no justification for senseless attacks against innocent civilians 13 Aftermath nbsp Dolphinarium discotheque suicide bombing by Victor Brindatch oil on canvas painting size 100 cm 130 cm nbsp A dolphin show at the dolphinarium in 1985After the attack many in the Israeli public demanded a harsh military retaliation nevertheless Prime Minister Ariel Sharon decided to not take any immediate retaliatory actions U S and other governments applied heavy diplomatic pressure on Israel to refrain from action 11 In Ramallah dozens of Palestinians celebrated in the streets and fired in the air as a sign of celebration 4 The bomber Saeed Hotari was praised as a martyr by his father 9 U S President George W Bush demanded that Yasser Arafat condemn the terrorist act which he did 14 The next day Israeli Arabs barricaded themselves in the Hassan Bek Mosque opposite the Dolphinarium site and threw objects at the police 15 According to the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center an Israeli based organization with close ties to the IDF among the materials seized by the IDF in the course of Operation Defensive Shield were two documents issued by the Martyrs Families and Injured Care Establishment which is under the authority of the Palestinian National Authority s Ministry of Social Affairs The documents detail the transfer of US 2 000 to the father of the suicide bomber who was living in Jordan at that time 18 June 2001 According to the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center the transfer was made despite the suicide bomber s Hamas affiliation his father s public support of the attack and Arafat s public condemnation of it 16 17 Memorial nbsp The ruins of the Dolphinarium in 2012 later demolished in 2018After the bombing the Dolphinarium discotheque was abandoned and ended up being covered with graffiti Its final use was as a surfing school The building remained on the Tel Aviv beachfront until its demolition in May 2018 18 For many years the victims families campaigned to permanently preserve the ruined building as a monument to the attack Eventually the building was demolished in order to extend the promenade along the coast 19 Memorial services to the victims of the attack were held every year at the site by friends and family of the victims 15 See alsoShevah Mofet high school in Tel Aviv where seven of the killed teenagers and many of the injured studied Israeli casualties of war Palestinian political violence Re im music festival massacreReferences O Sullivan Arieh November 25 2001 No 1 Hamas terrorist killed Followers threaten revenge in Tel Aviv Jerusalem Post Archived from the original on October 23 2012 Retrieved January 30 2009 Fisher Ian January 29 2006 In Hamas s Overt Hatred Many Israelis See Hope The New York Times Retrieved January 30 2009 Ynet פיגוע בדולפינריום ynet co il accessed 2 September 2015 a b David Rudge June 4 2001 Bomb horror hits Tel Aviv disco jpost com Archived from the original on December 5 2006 Retrieved June 3 2017 Chris McGreal 3 000 dead yet peace remains elusive guardian co uk 29 September 2003 Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine 6 years to Tel Aviv suicide bombing at the Dolphin disco YouTube Bloody Terrorist Attack in Tel Aviv 18 Youth Killed in Hebrew Ynet June 2 2001 Retrieved May 4 2008 Bomb horror hits Tel Aviv disco Archived May 16 2008 at the Wayback Machine The Jerusalem Post 4 June 2001 a b Bomber went to West Bank for a better life the Guardian June 4 2001 Retrieved December 14 2014 Shalom Silvan Q amp A with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom Haaretz 8 May 2008 a b Deborah Sontag Arafat Calls for Cease Fire Deploring Tel Aviv Attack The New York Times 3 June 2001 Press Release SG SM 7829 Archived June 9 2012 at the Wayback Machine domino un org 1 June 2001 Israeli police Four dead in Tel Aviv bombing CNN February 25 2005 Archived from the original on October 10 2012 Bush to Arafat You Must Condemn This Terrible Attack in Hebrew Ynet June 2 2001 Retrieved May 4 2008 a b 14 let so dnya chudovishnogo terakta v tel avivskom Dolfi 01 06 2015 22 41 9tv co il The Palestinian Authority s support of Hamas suicide terrorism October 2004 Archived from the original on December 1 2008 Retrieved May 4 2008 The Palestinian Authority s support of Hamas suicide terrorism October 10 2004 Retrieved May 24 2017 Lidman Melanie May 16 2018 Show s over for Tel Aviv s Dolphinarium eyesore Times of Israel Retrieved September 12 2018 Decided the fate of Tel Aviv Dolphinarium Reshilas sudba tel avivskogo delfinariya 27 12 2014 01 30 LEONID RABINExternal links nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dolphinarium discotheque massacre Tel Aviv suicide bombing at the Dolphin disco Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs accessed 2 September 2015 At Least 17 Dead In Tel Aviv Suicide Bombing Times Daily 2 June 2001 At Least 17 Dead 86 Wounded In Tel Aviv Beachfront Bombing The Item 2 June 2001 Eyewitness accounts from the scene of the massacre Ynet 2 June 2001 Hebrew Inside the mind of a suicide bomber ABC News 6 December 2001 Devotion desire drive youths to martyrdom USA Today 26 June 2001 Driver of the Dolphinarium attack terrorist charged with homicide Ynet 10 July 10 2001 in Hebrew Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dolphinarium discotheque massacre amp oldid 1181065150, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
