Tel Aviv Jerusalem bus 405 massacre
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The Tel Aviv-Jerusalem bus 405 massacre occurred on July 6, 1989. Abd al-Hadi Ghanayem, a Palestinian terrorist traveling in a crowded bus en route from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem seized the steering wheel from the driver and crashed the bus over a steep precipice in the area of Qiryat Ye'arim.
14 civilians died in the crash and 30 more were wounded. This is regarded as essentially the first Palestinian suicide attack even though the perpetrator (Anas), belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, didn't wear the more common suicide belt, and was not killed in the crash, later being arrested following medical treatment for his injuries. He was convicted on murder, hijacking and terrorism charges.
[edit] The Tefillin miracle
An interesting story developed when it was found out that the Tefillin of the driver remained unscathed. After the bus crashed it caught fire; experts have calculated that the heat must have reached 5000 degrees Celsius. That the phylacteries did not shrink and melt was regarded as a miracle. [1]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- An eyewitness account of the driver who survived the attack (Hebrew)
- MEMRI account of Palestinian media gloryifying the terrorist
