Hanadi Jaradat
Encyclopedia
Hanadi Tayseer Abdul Malek Jaradat (September 22, 1975 – October 4, 2003), a Palestinian
suicide bomber from Jenin
, blew herself up on Saturday, October 4, 2003 in an attack on Maxim's restaurant in the northern Israel
i city of Haifa
. Twenty-one people were killed and 51 injured. Among the dead were four Israeli children and three Arabs. She was the sixth female suicide bomber
of the Al-Aqsa Intifada
and the second woman recruited by Islamic Jihad
.
in Jordan
. Instead of going to the law firm where she was articling, she went to Haifa and blew herself up in a crowded restaurant. According to a story in Ha'aretz, based on Arab media and interviews with Israeli and Arab sources, she agreed to the bombing after Israel Defense Forces
undercover operatives in Jenin
killed her cousin (Salah, 34), who was wanted by Israel, and her younger brother (Fadi, 25), who was not, in their home, before her eyes, the evening before her brother's wedding. Both her cousin and younger brother were accused by Israeli forces of being Islamic Jihad operatives, with her cousin being considered to be a senior member of the Al-Quds Brigades
group. Earlier, when she was 21, her fiance had been killed by Israeli security forces. Subsequent to the killing of her cousin and brother, she memorized every verse of the Koran and started fasting two days a week.
The bomb included metal fragments packed around the explosive core, that sprayed around the restaurant, maximizing lethal effect. According to Haifa police sources, the aftermath was gruesome, with some of the dead still sitting upright at their tables, while others, including children and babies, were slammed against the walls. Due to the force of the explosion, all that remained of Jaradat was her head.
In response to his daughter's actions, her father Taisir declined all condolences, instead saying that he was proud of what his daughter had done, and that "I will accept only congratulations for what she did. This was a gift she gave me, the homeland and the Palestinian people. Therefore, I am not crying for her. Even though the most precious thing has been taken from me."
In reprisal for the suicide bombing, Israeli forces conducted a raid at 3:00 a.m. on October 5, 2003, during the course of which they demolished the family home of Jaradat and the houses of two of her neighbours.
In 2005, the Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam published a special supplement entitled "What Did Hanadi Say", consisting of poems honoring Jaradat and calling for Jihad
.
, a controversial item of installation art
by Swedish
, Israel
i-born composer and musician Dror Feiler
, and his Swedish wife, artist Gunilla Sköld-Feiler
.
The installation consisted of a long pool of water coloured blood red, upon which floated a small white boat named "Snövit" ("Snow White
") carrying a portrait of Hanadi Jaradat, which were accompanied by text written on the nearby walls, and the sound of Bach's
Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut
(Cantata 199). That piece begins with the words, "My heart swims in blood / because the brood of my sins / in God's holy eyes / makes me into a monster".
The artwork became the centre of controversy when the Israeli ambassador to Sweden, Zvi Mazel
, damaged the installation. After pushing some lightstands into the pool, causing a short-circuit and disabling the light, Mazel told Feiler that "This is not a work of art. This is an expression of hatred for the Israeli people. This has glorified suicide bombers". Further he said to the press that the piece constituted a "complete legitimization of genocide, the murder of innocent people, innocent civilians, under the guise of culture". Feiler rejected charges that their intention was to glorify suicide bombers and accused Mazel of "practicing censorship". He said the installation was made to "call attention to how weak people left alone can be capable of horrible things". Following the incident, Mazel was unrepentant, and said: "I was standing before an exhibit calling for genocide, praising the genocide of me, you, my brothers and sisters."
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
suicide bomber from Jenin
Jenin
Jenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
, blew herself up on Saturday, October 4, 2003 in an attack on Maxim's restaurant in the northern Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i city of Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
. Twenty-one people were killed and 51 injured. Among the dead were four Israeli children and three Arabs. She was the sixth female suicide bomber
Female suicide bomber
Though the majority of suicide bombers have been male, female suicide bombers have carried out a number of attacks.-History:Female suicide bombers have been employed in several conflicts, by a variety of organizations, against both military and civilian targets.*In Lebanon on April 9, 1985, Sana'a...
of the Al-Aqsa Intifada
Al-Aqsa Intifada
The Second Intifada, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada and the Oslo War, was the second Palestinian uprising, a period of intensified Palestinian-Israeli violence, which began in late September 2000...
and the second woman recruited by Islamic Jihad
Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine
The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine known in the West as simply Palestinian Islamic Jihad , is a small Palestinian militant organization. The group has been labelled as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia and Israel...
.
Bombing
At the time of her suicide, Jaradat was a law student due to qualify as a lawyer in a few weeks. She had studied law at Yarmouk UniversityYarmouk University
Yarmouk University is a university in Jordan. It was established in 1976. Located in the northern town of Irbid, it has a student body of roughly 31,000.The university has several international partnerships with overseas universities...
in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. Instead of going to the law firm where she was articling, she went to Haifa and blew herself up in a crowded restaurant. According to a story in Ha'aretz, based on Arab media and interviews with Israeli and Arab sources, she agreed to the bombing after Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
undercover operatives in Jenin
Jenin
Jenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
killed her cousin (Salah, 34), who was wanted by Israel, and her younger brother (Fadi, 25), who was not, in their home, before her eyes, the evening before her brother's wedding. Both her cousin and younger brother were accused by Israeli forces of being Islamic Jihad operatives, with her cousin being considered to be a senior member of the Al-Quds Brigades
Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine
The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine known in the West as simply Palestinian Islamic Jihad , is a small Palestinian militant organization. The group has been labelled as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia and Israel...
group. Earlier, when she was 21, her fiance had been killed by Israeli security forces. Subsequent to the killing of her cousin and brother, she memorized every verse of the Koran and started fasting two days a week.
The bomb included metal fragments packed around the explosive core, that sprayed around the restaurant, maximizing lethal effect. According to Haifa police sources, the aftermath was gruesome, with some of the dead still sitting upright at their tables, while others, including children and babies, were slammed against the walls. Due to the force of the explosion, all that remained of Jaradat was her head.
In response to his daughter's actions, her father Taisir declined all condolences, instead saying that he was proud of what his daughter had done, and that "I will accept only congratulations for what she did. This was a gift she gave me, the homeland and the Palestinian people. Therefore, I am not crying for her. Even though the most precious thing has been taken from me."
In reprisal for the suicide bombing, Israeli forces conducted a raid at 3:00 a.m. on October 5, 2003, during the course of which they demolished the family home of Jaradat and the houses of two of her neighbours.
Honors
Jaradat was proclaimed by the Islamic Jihad as the "Bride of Haifa" to honor her "marriage to the soil of her homeland", an honor previously reserved only to men. Within several days of the bombing, trophy cards with her picture, labelled "Hanadi the Bride of Haifa", were being handed out in Gaza.In 2005, the Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam published a special supplement entitled "What Did Hanadi Say", consisting of poems honoring Jaradat and calling for Jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
.
Snow White and The Madness of Truth
Jaradat was the subject of Snow White and The Madness of TruthSnow White and The Madness of Truth
Snow White and The Madness of Truth was an item of installation art by Swedish, Israeli-born composer and musician Dror Feiler, and his Swedish wife, artist Gunilla Sköld-Feiler...
, a controversial item of installation art
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
by Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i-born composer and musician Dror Feiler
Dror Feiler
Dror Elimelech Feiler is a Swedish-Israeli musician, artist and leftist activist. He has been living in Stockholm, Sweden since 1973. He is married to the artist Gunilla Sköld-Feiler...
, and his Swedish wife, artist Gunilla Sköld-Feiler
Gunilla Sköld-Feiler
Gunilla Sköld-Feiler , born in Norrköping, Sweden, is a Swedish artist. She is married to fellow artist Dror Feiler. In January 2004 she made international headlines with the artwork Snow White and The Madness of Truth.- External links :...
.
The installation consisted of a long pool of water coloured blood red, upon which floated a small white boat named "Snövit" ("Snow White
Snow White
"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
") carrying a portrait of Hanadi Jaradat, which were accompanied by text written on the nearby walls, and the sound of Bach's
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut
Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut
Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut is a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. In Wolfgang Schmieder's catalogue of Bach's works, it is BWV 199...
(Cantata 199). That piece begins with the words, "My heart swims in blood / because the brood of my sins / in God's holy eyes / makes me into a monster".
The artwork became the centre of controversy when the Israeli ambassador to Sweden, Zvi Mazel
Zvi Mazel
Zvi Mazel is an Israeli diplomat. He was the Israeli ambassador to Sweden from 2002 to 2004, after serving as ambassador in Egypt from 1996 to 2001 and, later, Romania...
, damaged the installation. After pushing some lightstands into the pool, causing a short-circuit and disabling the light, Mazel told Feiler that "This is not a work of art. This is an expression of hatred for the Israeli people. This has glorified suicide bombers". Further he said to the press that the piece constituted a "complete legitimization of genocide, the murder of innocent people, innocent civilians, under the guise of culture". Feiler rejected charges that their intention was to glorify suicide bombers and accused Mazel of "practicing censorship". He said the installation was made to "call attention to how weak people left alone can be capable of horrible things". Following the incident, Mazel was unrepentant, and said: "I was standing before an exhibit calling for genocide, praising the genocide of me, you, my brothers and sisters."