Remembering Malki's Birthday

My daughter Malki was a talented

classical flautist. This photo is from 2000.

I imagine that few shared our reaction to the Hamas invasion of October 7.

While most were shocked and blind-sided by the horrors and cruelty inflicted on Israelis that day, we were somewhat prepared, having been introduced to Hamas barbarism a little over 22 years ago. 

During the years of the Second Intifada, between 2000 and 2005, Hamas along with Fatah and Islamic Jihad waged a campaign of heinous murders against innocents. Some 1,083 civilian Israelis, among them 124 children, perished.

True, the attacks were often several days apart and the numbers of Hamas invaders never neared the thousands who attacked us at once on last month's Black Shabbat.

But the planning, cunning and bloodthirst were identical.

Our precious Malki, who would have celebrated her 38th birthday today, perished in the Sbarro bombing of August 9, 2001.

Hamas' first female operative, Ahlam Tamimi, orchestrated that attack meticulously. She later boasted of her several preparatory visits to Jerusalem's city center to scout for a suitable target. 

She found that on summer afternoons, the Sbarro pizzeria at the major intersection of Jaffa and King George Streets met those criteria. She chose it as her target because it was frequented by "religious Jews," she told an interviewer from the Center for Near East Policy Research.

Hamas provided her with a "weapon" - another Hamas operative, ‘Izz Al-Din Al-Masri, carrying a guitar case containing a 10 kg. bomb riddled with nails and screws to intensify the injuries.

She escorted him through Jerusalem's streets to that intersection where she parted from him. Her last instructions to Al-Masri were to wait 15 minutes before detonating to allow her ample time to make a safe getaway.

And so, our precious angel - a generous, artistic, musically gifted girl - left this world along with six other children and nine adults.

 
Tamimi boasts of her "success" to this day from her refuge in Amman, Jordan. She has been protected there by King Abdullah II since her release in the now infamous Shalit Deal - the same one that freed Hamas' current chief Yahya Sinwar. 

She says she has never regretted what she did and that if given another chance she would do the same again ["Tamimi: I have never regretted what I have done", Ammon News (Jordan) October 23, 2011]

Malki was a U.S. citizen, as were two other Sbarro victims. Hence Tamimi was indicted under seal by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2013 (and unsealed in 2017). Her extradition has been demanded under a valid 1995 treaty of extradition between Jordan and the United States signed, ratified and lauded by Abdullah's father King Hussein.

 
Abdullah has thumbed his nose at the U.S. demand for extradition. Despite our tireless efforts, no one with power or influence is at all interested in tackling this travesty of justice. In 2022, President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering support to Jordan as a key ally and a force for peace in the region. In fact Abdullah is still referred to by the U.S. as its partner in the fight against terrorism.

Today, as is our custom, my husband and I intend to visit Malki's grave. With a son-in-law now fighting in Gaza against the very same Hamas that murdered the sister-in-law he never met, our world looks bleak indeed.

On my murdered daughter's birthday, a request

Last week's terror bombings that took the life of Jerusalem teen Aryeh Schupak, and, a few days later, of Tadese Tashume Ben-Ma’ada, 50, father of six, who succumbed to his wounds on November 26, 2022, jolted the nation. 

They also stirred up the horror right beneath the surface of my soul. Horror that has lingered there since 2001, when my daughter Malki was murdered in the Jerusalem Sbarro pizzeria bombing on a hot, summer's afternoon. 

Like the twin bus-stop bombings of last week, the 10 kg bomb that destroyed Sbarro was also packed with nails to maximize the casualties it would inflict. And the Sbarro bomb's target was also a site that children, specifically, would be frequenting at that hour.

A Jerusalem bus stop, one of the two attacked on

November 23, 2022 [Image Source]

Now another innocent Jewish teen - kind, generous, earnest, industrious full of dreams and plans like our child - did not return to his parents.

When I say my heart goes out to his family, those are not just formulaic words. I really do know what they are enduring.

Malki would have celebrated her 37th birthday today, November 27, 2022, if not for that evil act of Hamas operative, Ahlam Tamimi. 

But unlike the terrorists who murdered Aryeh and Ben-Ma'ada, Ahlam Tamimi's whereabouts are known to all. She lives free and protected by Jordan's King Abdullah II. She was indicted by the United States Department of Justice in 2013. Her extradition from Jordan was subsequently demanded under a 1995 treaty signed and ratified by both countries. The U.S. has explicitly deemed that treaty valid despite Jordan's years-late insistence to the contrary.

But there the U.S.'s pursuit of justice for our Malki - a U.S. citizen - has come to a screeching halt.

The very same administration that declared on November 23, 2022, that "We condemn unequivocally the acts of terror overnight in Jerusalem. The United States has offered all appropriate assistance to the Government of Israel as it investigates the attack and works to bring the perpetrators to justice" is doing nothing, I repeat nothing, to bring the fugitive Sbarro perpetrator, Ahlam Tamimi, to justice. 

She has boasted of murdering fifteen men, women and children in the bombing she orchestrated at Sbarro but remains free as a lark.

My husband and I have been struggling since early-2012 to garner attention for our fight. The persistent silence and indifference that have met our pleas is not something we could have anticipated. It crosses all religious, political and geographic lines and is utterly confounding.

But without a doubt, the most disconcerting has been the silence and indifference of American Jewish activists, leaders, politicians and organization heads who claim to be concerned with causes precisely like ours: justice for Jewish victims. 

Many have close personal relationships with Jordan's ruler, Abdullah, often to the absurd point of adulation. His country's blatant anti-Semitism doesn't faze them.

Their hypocrisy has been a bitter pill for us to swallow.

If you too are incensed by this outrage, and are in a position to promote our cause, we are currently preparing a campaign where your help can be instrumental. Please contact us by email at thisongoingwar@gmail.com

Even if you feel you cannot take part, please do consider signing our petition addressed to the U.S. Secretary of State (you do not need to be an American to sign it): change.org/ExtraditeTamimi

Hate, hypocrisy, heartache: Marking my daughter's birthday

Malki and her friends celebrate a birthday party of one of the group on 
August 8, 2001. It's the last photo we have of her. She was murdered
the following day.

Today would have been our precious angel's 32nd birthday, but for the hate and bloodthirst of mass murderer Ahlam Tamimi.

Instead, our family lives with relentless pain and longing while that monster thrives in King Abdullah's terrorist-haven, Amman, Jordan.

Ironically, on this same day - November 27 - Abdullah begins a round of meetings with leaders and members of U.S. Congressional committees including military service, foreign relations and appropriations along with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, and Vice President Mike Pence.

There is no excuse for this embrace of a terrorist protector, King Abdullah, who since March 2017 has stubbornly refused to extradite Tamimi, the self-confessed mastermind of the 2001 Sbarro massacre despite the official demands of the U.S. Department of Justice. A treaty of extradition was signed and ratified by both countries in 1995.

A state harboring the murderer of fifteen men, women, children and babies, a woman who is one of America's FBI Most Wanted Terrorists, must be punished by the Trump administration and not honored and rewarded.

Meanwhile the Trump White House is outraged over the release by Pakistan of another terrorist, the cleric Hafiz Saeed, and warned

it could damage US-Pakistan relations... [and that] it sends a deeply troubling message about its commitment to fighting terrorism. [Independent UK, November 25, 2017]

Saeed is 

allegedly the founder of a banned group linked to the 2008 Mumbai, India, attack that killed 168 people. He has been designated a terrorist by the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. has a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction. He was released before dawn on Friday after a three-judge panel in Pakistan ended his detention in the eastern city of Lahore. The move outraged both U.S. and Indian authorities.  ["White House condemns Pakistan’s release of militant suspect", Associated Press, November 25, 2017]

The White House called Pakistan's move a "step in the wrong direction" and warned it would damage bilateral ties and Pakistan's international reputation around the world. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders emphasized that Saeed's release "belies Pakistani claims that it will not provide sanctuary for for terrorists on its soil". 

Here, on the other hand, is what Trump had to say of Jordan's King Abdullah a few short weeks ago in a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly:

"It's a great honor to be with the King of Jordan, who has been our partner and ally for a long time. And I think never has the relationship been better than it is right now... I just want to thank you for everything you've done, in terms of the refugees and taking care of people that -- who knows what would have happened without you. So I want to thank you and I want to thank everybody involved with you, and you have done an amazing job. Thank you." [White House Media Release, September 20, 2017]

On Malki's birthday, please help us publicize this blatant hypocrisy, this infuriating double standard.

Falling victim to the media's "most ethical" behavior

The newly-found birthday card - from 1996

Like many of you, I've been cleaning, sorting and finding the unexpected these days.

Yesterday, a birthday card that the entire family gave our Malki on her 11th birthday turned up. Each of us had written our wishes and mine read:

"My Dearest Mali,
You are a constant source of נחת [Hebrew: pleasure] to us - may you continue in your דרך [Hebrew: way] until מאה ועשרים שנה   years [120 years is the traditional Jewish wish for a full lifespan] in good health... And not to worry about a profession; you seem blessed with the skills of an extremely competent עוזרת [Hebrew: cleaning lady - she always tidied up after me] as well as a very talented finder. [She always located the many items I constantly misplaced]. What more can one wish for? Of course, if those fields don't pan out for you there are always those musical, mathematical and artistic talents to fall back on (though we'd be understandably disappointed in that event). In the meantime, עלי והצליחי [Hebrew: Rise and succeed] and enjoy!
Love, Mom"

She only lived another four and a half years. The pain of longing for her is indescribable.

But there is another pain that I can convey. Its source is the  injustice of her murderer's freedom and continued incitement to kill more Jews. And the sympathy she garners from the mainstream media.

Last week, two Associated Press correspondents interviewed my husband and me at our home. They were interested in our reaction to the United States Department of Justice unsealing of the charges against Ahlam Tamimi, Mali's murderer. (Some background here.)

The pair seemed empathetic and understanding when we noted that we never agree to have our words juxtaposed with hers as some journalists had requested of us in the past. When Associated Press describes its own journalism, it says

"But always and in all media, we insist on the highest standards of integrity and ethical behavior when we gather and deliver the news. That means we abhor inaccuracies, carelessness, bias or distortions. It means we will not knowingly introduce false information into material intended for publication or broadcast; nor will we alter photo or image content." [From the AP website]

Yet several days later we were shocked to see that the AP had done just that. We learned that our interview with them was actually conducted a short time - some hours - after their journalist in Amman had met with Tamimi in her home. The two interviews are posted in a single YouTube video side by side.

Here is a partial transcript of Tamimi's infuriating words:

"The court ruled for not extraditing me to the US. Of course I'm happy, that was my first reaction, because I didn't do anything, and the charges filed against me by the US are not true, I know nothing about them and I never did that. The Jordanian decision was true, because the court in Jordan asked the US to send the whole file of the lawsuit but it didn't do that."

Senior AP employees to whom we complained insisted that we were meant to be forewarned of their intention to publicize our statement beside our child's murderer's. Well, nobody did.

The presentation of a convicted mass murderer's claims on an equal footing with those of the victims' parents is unethical and despicable. To add salt to the wound, the interview - riddled with lies - enables Tamimi to win global sympathy. It stymies current efforts to have her extradited from Jordan and tried in a US court.

Tamimi has over the last 11 years confessed repeatedly with pride and glee to the murders of 15 men, women and children (8 of the latter) to Arab and western journalists. She has detailed precisely what her central role in the massacre entailed. From scouting for and choosing the target for maximum carnage to transporting the 10 kg. bomb to her accomplice and concluding with leading him physically right to the door of the target, the Sbarro pizzeria. She left nobody in any doubt about her guilt.

Yet when speaking to the AP last week, Tamimi flatly denied any guilt in the atrocity she perpetrated. And the AP colluded with her by failing to cite any links to her many confessions. The reader is left to choose between her version of events and ours. As if they were both equally credible!

Please share this post with your friends. You will thereby help to intensify the pressure that is vital to achieving Tamimi's extradition by the Jordanian king. Our meeting here with the people from the US Department of Justice three weeks ago persuaded us that that is the only chance we have of seeing this evil woman brought to justice.

Netanyahu's disastrous deal (Hint: nothing to do with submarines)

Malki cuddling her youngest and very disabled sister

Today our angel Malki would have been 31 years old.

I actually used to call her "malach'l" (מלאכ'ל) at times because of its similarity to her name and because in Yiddish the word means angel which she was in every sense of the word.

My husband and I only go to Malki's grave twice a year: on her yahrzeit of course, but also on her birthday to mark a day that we always celebrated together as we still do for every family member's birthday. The siblings trek out to our home. We share a meal together including a decadently-creamy cake and candles, and the classic repertoire of  birthday songs and my yanking of the birthday-child's arms high in the air as we all chant "Are you one, are you two....?"

Overshadowing the celebrations these past sixteen years is our grief for Malki and the constant realization anew that our yearning for her will be eternal.

Overlaying that pain for the past five years is our intense pining for justice.  Prime minister Netanyahu snatched that from us when he released 1,027 terrorists in the Shalit Deal.

Malki's self confessed and convicted killer, the mass murderer Ahlam Tamimi who had been entenced to 16 life terms, was among those 1,027. Since 2011, Tamimi has exploited her freedom to incite other Muslims to terrorism. She does this with ease and skill from her home base in Amman, Jordan where she hosts a weekly TV program, as well as via Facebook and Twitter and in speeches she gives at venues throughout the Arab world.

There is no need to delve into submarine deals to reveal the selfish, narcissistic motivations that color Mr. Netanyahu's every move. The now infamous Shalit Deal does an exemplary job of that, causing so much agony to so many of our fellow citizens that it is hard to fathom how the man sleeps at night.

Aside from the many families of the murdered who, like us, endured the travesty of justice the deal unleashed, there are fresh victims who have lost loved ones to terror attacks perpetrated by some of those released Shalit Deal murderers.

I snapped this at Malki's grave yesterday

In June 2015, Malachi Rosenfeld was the sixth Israeli to be killed in attacks carried out or planned by Palestinians released under the deal since April 2014.

One of the alleged cell members, Ahmad Najjar, a Hamas operative who was said to have orchestrated and funded the shooting attack from Jordan, has yet to be apprehended, the security service said. Before being released in the Shalit prisoner exchange, Najjar spent eight years in an Israeli prison for his involvement in previous terror attacks that killed three Israelis... Najjar... is a reminder of the cost Israel has paid for Shalit’s freedom, a scenario that critics of the deal predicted would unfold... ["Palestinians freed in Shalit deal killed 6 Israelis since 2014", Times of Israel, July 20, 2015]

In June 2016, former cabinet secretary Zvi Hauser said:

In an era in which there is the experience of a total lack of trust in the political system, I have no doubt that an event like the release of Gilad Shalit has a kind of effect of reestablishing trust..." [Haaretz]

adding that the deal was

a bucket of cold water of sorts on the fire [of the social justice protests of 2011] [Haaretz]

You'll find more such critiques of the deal by then-cabinet members at that same source. Please keep the outrageous Shalit Deal in your thoughts this week to honor our Malki's memory.

(Note: I intended to post this yesterday on Malki's birthday, November 27. But my daughter Chaya's health issues precluded that - details about that in my next post.)