They reached the scene of the attack from a nearby hotel where they had rented a room. Investigators who later searched their room discovered an elastic belt, explosives and a map of downtown Tel Aviv, on which several crowded venues, including Mike's Place, were clearly marked.[1]
Attack
At 12:45 am on April 30, 2003, the suicide bomber approached Mike's Place and blew himself up at the entrance. The force of the blast killed three people and injured over 50. One of the wounded was security guard Avi Tabib, who managed to block the suicide bomber, preventing him from entering the bar and causing further fatalities.[2]
Perpetrators
After the attack, Hamas and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed joint responsibility for the attack. In addition, Hamas spokesman identified the perpetrators as British nationals Asif Muhammad Hanif, 22, from London and Omar Khan Sharif, 27, from Derby.[3]
Failed second bombing
Memorial for victims of the bombing
Immediately after the first attack the other suicide bomber, who was carrying a concealed explosive belt, was supposed to carry out another attack but his explosive device failed to detonate. This second suicide bomber, who may have been injured at that point from the explosion, threw away his explosive belt and fled the scene. He reached the David Intercontinental Hotel and struggled with the security guard at the entrance trying to steal his ID, but he did not manage to do so. An examination of the unexploded bomb discarded by Omar Khan Sharif showed that it had been hidden in a book and contained standard explosives.[4]
The body of the second suicide bomber was washed ashore on the Tel Aviv beachfront on May 12 and was eventually identified on May 19, 2003. Forensic experts said he had drowned.[5]
Subsequent related events
Despite the events of that day, the bar reopened on Yom Haatzmaut, Israeli Independence Day.[6]
ISM visit controversy
On April 25, five days before the attack, Hanif and Sharif had visited International Solidarity Movement (ISM) office, and after chatting for 15 minutes with an ISM volunteer, the men briefly joined a group of 20 people who were commemorating Rachel Corrie's death.[7][8][9]
ISM said activists Hanif and Sharif appeared to be "typical Brits."[10] An ISM volunteer reported that the bombers had been among a group of 'alternative tourists' who were offered tea when they paid an unscheduled visit to an ISM office on the way to a memorial for Rachel Corrie.[11]
Cultural references
A documentary called Blues by the Beach, about the Tel Aviv Mike's Place, the suicide attack at the bar, and the people affected by it, was directed by American-Israeli filmmaker Joshua Faudem and produced by Jack Baxter, who was seriously injured while making the film.[12]
The Jerusalem branch appears in the film The Holy Land, about a wayward Yeshiva student. The director, Eitan Gorlin, worked as one of the bar's first bartenders in 1994.[13]
The attack is mentioned in the TV series The Blacklist by the main character Raymond Reddington, as he describes the aftermath created by the explosion.[14]
