1994 London Israeli Embassy bombing

Last updated

1994 London Israeli Embassy bombing
Israeli embassy London.JPG
Israeli embassy in London
Greater London UK location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
The attack site
LocationLondon, United Kingdom
Coordinates 51°30′10.44″N0°11′20.76″W / 51.5029000°N 0.1891000°W / 51.5029000; -0.1891000
Date26 July 1994
Target Israeli embassy
Balfour House
Attack type
 Car bomb
Deaths0
Injured20
Motive Palestinian nationalism
ConvictedJawad Botmeh, Samar Alami

The 1994 London Israeli Embassy bombing was a car bomb attack on 26 July 1994 against the Israeli embassy building in London, England. Twenty civilians were injured. A second bomb was exploded outside Balfour House, Finchley, premises occupied by the UJIA, a registered British charity.

Contents

The attack

A car containing 20 to 30 pounds (9.1 to 13.6 kg) of explosives parked in front of the embassy blew up minutes after the driver left it. The blast, which caused widespread damage, was heard over a mile away. Apart from damage to the embassy building, shop windows were blown out. The attack took place one day after King Hussein of Jordan and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin met in Washington, D.C. to discuss a Jordan-Israel peace treaty. [1]

Thirteen hours later another car bomb exploded outside Balfour House, which at the time was the London headquarters of one of the largest Jewish charities, The United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA), injuring six. [2] [3]

Aftermath

Initially, the Israeli ambassador and British intelligence experts were blaming "pro-Iranian extremists, probably linked to the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group." [1] A group calling themselves the Palestinian Resistance Jaffa Group claimed responsibility for both bombs. [2]

Five Palestinians were arrested in London in January 1995 in connection with the bombings. In December 1996, two of them, both Palestinian science graduates educated in the UK, Jawad Botmeh and Samar Alami, were found guilty of "conspiracy to cause explosions" at the Old Bailey. They were sentenced to 20 years in jail, and lost their appeal in 2001. [4]

Botmeh was released from prison in 2008. [5]

Former MI5 agent David Shayler stated that the British security services were warned of a plan to attack the embassy in advance, yet took no action. The Crown Prosecution Service later confirmed a warning had been received, though it related to a plan by a group unconnected to those who were convicted of the bombing. [6] The Home Secretary at the time, Jack Straw, said that Shayler's interpretation of events was understandable, but concluded that MI5 still could not have prevented the bombing. [7]

Convicted

Samar Alami, a Lebanese-Palestinian woman and daughter of a banker, graduated with a BSc in chemical engineering from University College London and an MSc from Imperial College London. [8] [9]

Jawad Botmeh, a Palestinian student based in London, graduated with degrees in electronic engineering from the University of Leicester and King's College London. [10] [11] [12]

Alami and Botmeh were convicted of conspiracy to cause explosions in the United Kingdom. [13] During the trial Alami and Botmeh were accused of being part of a team that had planned the bombing but were not accused of planting the bomb themselves or being present at the scene of the crime. [14] There was no direct evidence linking the suspects to the bombing. Another woman involved in carrying out the bombing has never been found. In the course of the trial, both suspects did admit that they had conducted experiments using home made explosives in order to pass information back to Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories. Botmeh and Alami were convicted of the charges in December 1996, receiving 20-year sentences. [15]

Alami and Botmeh have maintained their innocence; Amnesty International stated that Botmeh had been "denied [his] right to a fair trial". [16] Numerous groups and individuals campaigned on behalf of the pair, including the government of Palestine, Amnesty International, Unison (Britain's largest trade union), [17] human rights activist Gareth Peirce, investigative journalist Paul Foot, and Miscarriages of JusticeUK (MOJUK), [18] Support for Alami and Botmeh's appeal attracted cross-party support in Parliament – five early day motions raised by John Austin MP were supported by a total of 71 Members of Parliament, including Labour Party MPs Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, Conservative Party MPs Peter Bottomley and Robert Jackson, and Liberal Democrats Tom Brake and Colin Breed. Beyond the early day motions, further support for a review of the conviction by parliamentarians included Ian Gilmour, Baron Gilmour of Craigmillar and Harry Cohen. [19] [20]

The pair's appeal against their convictions came to an end when their case was dismissed by the European Court of Human Rights in 2007. Upon review of the evidence, the court concluded that their right to a fair trial had not been infringed. [21]

Following Botmeh's release from prison in 2008 he found work as a researcher at the London Metropolitan University. [22] He was suspended from work on 7 February 2013, having become an activist for his trade union, Unison; they have pointed out that his suspension was related to his election as a staff representative, [16] and that he had declared his conviction for involvement in two car bombs at the Israeli Embassy prior to appointment. [22] His suspension was lifted in March 2015.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

The 1999 London nail bombings were a series of bomb explosions in London, England. Over three successive weekends between 17 and 30 April 1999, homemade nail bombs were detonated respectively in Brixton in South London; at Brick Lane, Spitalfields, in the East End; and at the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho in the West End. Each bomb contained up to 1,500 4-inch (100 mm) nails, in holdalls that were left in public spaces. The bombs killed three people and injured 140 people, four of whom lost limbs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Finchley</span> Human settlement in England

North Finchley is a suburb of London in the London Borough of Barnet, situated 7 miles (11 km) north-west of Charing Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Mansfield</span> British lawyer

Michael Mansfield is an English barrister and head of chambers at Nexus Chambers. He was recently described as "The king of human rights work" by The Legal 500 and as a leading Silk in civil liberties and human rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdelbaset al-Megrahi</span> Libyan convicted of the Lockerbie bombing (1952–2012)

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi was a Libyan who was head of security for Libyan Arab Airlines, director of the Centre for Strategic Studies in Tripoli, Libya, and an alleged Libyan intelligence officer. On 31 January 2001, Megrahi was convicted, by a panel of three Scottish judges sitting in a special court at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands, of 270 counts of murder for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, on 21 December 1988 and was sentenced to life imprisonment. His co-accused, Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, was found not guilty and was acquitted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of Israel, London</span> Israeli diplomatic mission in the United Kingdom

The Embassy of Israel in London is the diplomatic mission of Israel in the United Kingdom. It is located in the South Kensington area on Kensington Palace Gardens near the junction with Kensington High Street. The Grade II* listed building hosts both the Embassy of Israel and the Israeli Consulate, accessible via a separate entrance at 15a Old Court Place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7 July 2005 London bombings</span> 2005 suicide attacks in London, England

The 7 July 2005 London bombings, also referred to as 7/7, were a series of four coordinated suicide attacks carried out by Islamic terrorists in London that targeted commuters travelling on the city's public transport system during the morning rush hour.

Yasin Hassan Omar is a British Somali convicted terrorist. Omar was arrested and tried for his involvement in the attempted 21 July attacks on London's public transport system. He was found guilty of attempting to detonate a device on the London Underground Victoria line tube train between Warren Street and Oxford Circus tube stations. In August 2005 police gave his age as 24 after his arrest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 Amman bombings</span> 2005 Al-Qaeda terrorist attack in Amman, Jordan

The 2005 Amman bombings were a series of coordinated suicide bomb attacks on three hotel lobbies in Amman, Jordan, on 9 November 2005. The explosions at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, the Radisson SAS Hotel, and the Days Inn started at around 20:50 local time at the Grand Hyatt. The three hotels are frequented by foreign diplomats. The bomb at the Radisson SAS exploded in the Philadelphia Ballroom, where a Palestinian wedding hosting hundreds of guests was taking place. The attacks killed 57 people and injured 115 others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1993 Bishopsgate bombing</span> Provisional IRA bombing in London

The Bishopsgate bombing occurred on 24 April 1993, when the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) detonated a powerful truck bomb on Bishopsgate, a major thoroughfare in London's financial district, the City of London. Telephoned warnings were sent about an hour beforehand, but a news photographer was killed in the blast and 44 people were injured, with fatalities minimised due to it occurring on a Saturday. The blast destroyed the nearby St Ethelburga's church and wrecked Liverpool Street station and the NatWest Tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annie Machon</span> Former MI5 intelligence officer, author, and public speaker

Annie Machon is a former MI5 intelligence officer, author, and public speaker. In 1996, she resigned from MI5 in order to help David Shayler reveal a series of alleged crimes committed by the agency. Afterward, they went on the run around Europe for a month, lived in hiding for a year and in exile for two, before returning voluntarily. Machon was never charged with a crime. Subsequently, she has become a media commentator, author, political campaigner, and international public speaker on a wide variety of geopolitical issues. She has also featured in a number of films and TV documentaries, including The Culture High, Digitale Dissidenten, and The Mole: Undercover in North Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–United Kingdom relations</span> Bilateral relations

Israel–United Kingdom relations, or Anglo-Israeli relations, are the diplomatic and commercial ties between the United Kingdom and Israel. The British embassy to Israel is located in Tel Aviv. The UK has an honorary consul in Eilat and a non-accredited consulate-general in Jerusalem, that represents the United Kingdom in that city and the Palestinian territories. Israel has three representative offices in the United Kingdom: an Embassy located in London and consulates in Cardiff and Glasgow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 Rishon LeZion bombing</span>

The 2002 Rishon LeZion bombing was a suicide bombing which occurred on 7 May 2002 at a crowded game club located in the new industrial area of Rishon Lezion. 16 people were killed in the attack and 55 were injured.

A suicide bombing took place on June 11, 2003, on Egged bus line 14a at Davidka Square in the center of Jerusalem. 17 people were killed in the attack and over 100 people were injured.

The Carmel Market bombing was a suicide bombing which occurred on 1 November 2004 at the Carmel Market located at the heart of Tel Aviv's business district. Three people were killed in the attack and over 30 people were injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moshe Raviv</span>

Moshe Raviv was an Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom, and the Philippines. During the Six-Day War, he was an aide to Israeli foreign minister Abba Eban.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AMIA bombing</span> 1994 attack on a Jewish Community Centre in Buenos Aires, Argentina

The AMIA bombing occurred on 18 July 1994 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and targeted the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina, a Jewish Community Centre. Executed as a suicidal attack, a bomb-laden van was driven into the AMIA building and subsequently detonated, killing 85 people and injuring over 300. To date, the bombing remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentine history. Argentina is home to a Jewish community of 230,000, making it the largest in Latin America and the sixth-largest in the world outside of Israel.

References

  1. 1 2 "Israel's London embassy bombed". BBC. 26 July 1994. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017.
  2. 1 2 Yonah Alexander, Edgar H. Brenner (2013). Document No 24, in UK's Legal Responses to Terrorism, Routledge, p. 693
  3. ↑ "Bombing in London Hits Israeli Embassy". The New York Times. 27 July 1994.
  4. ↑ "Tally Ho Bombers Lose Court Appeal". The Guardian. 1 November 2001.
  5. ↑ "London Metropolitan University suspends researcher with car bomb conviction". BBC. 22 February 2013.
  6. ↑ Taylor, Mike (27 October 2000). Shayler was right over bomb at Israeli embassy. The Independent. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  7. ↑ Norton-Taylor, Richard (4 November 2002). Behind the MI5 trial. The Guardian. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  8. ↑ "The bomber who never was" . The Independent . 26 November 1998. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  9. ↑ "UK | Israel embassy bombers to appeal". BBC News. 10 May 1999. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  10. ↑ Gambetta, Diego; Hertog, Steffen (1 March 2016). Engineers of Jihad: The Curious Connection between Violent Extremism and Education. Princeton University Press. p. 23. ISBN   978-1-4008-8025-6.
  11. ↑ "Bombing in London Hits Israeli Embassy - NYTimes.com". The New York Times . 27 July 1994. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  12. ↑ "BBC ON THIS DAY | 26 | 1994: Israel's London embassy bombed". news.bbc.co.uk. 26 July 1994. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  13. ↑ Beckett, Andy (21 October 2000). "Caught in the blast". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
  14. ↑ Caught in the blast . The Guardian (21 October 2000). Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  15. ↑ Campbell, Duncan; Norton-Taylor, Richard (27 March 1999). "M15 role in inquiry into Israeli embassy blast under scrutiny". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 11 August 2018.
  16. 1 2 "Botmeh suspension lifted by London Met | Times Higher Education". timeshighereducation.co.uk. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  17. ↑ Freedom and Justice for Samar and Jawad. Unison (24 February 2003). Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  18. ↑ MOJUK: Newsletter 'Inside Out' No 36. MOJUK. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  19. ↑ The latest attack on Jeremy Corbyn is only half the story. Middle East Monitor (1 September 2015). Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  20. ↑ Swinford, Steven (1 September 2015). Jeremy Corbyn campaigned for release of Embassy bombers. Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  21. ↑ Palestinian bombers appeal fails . BBC News (7 June 2007). Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  22. 1 2 "London Metropolitan University suspends researcher with car bomb conviction - BBC News". BBC News. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.