British Student Murdered in Palestinian Terror Attack

April 18, 2017

by: Ilse Posselt

Tuesday, 18 April 2017 | Friday was supposed to be a special day in Israel’s capital. The city was bustling as thousands of pilgrims and tourists celebrating Passover and Good Friday flocked in and out of the Old City. Jerusalemites were in high spirits as they prepared for Shabbat. Then terror struck.

The attack happened just after 1:00 p.m. on the Jerusalem Light Rail, just a few feet away from the Old City. As the tram made its way from the stop at the Damascus Gate towards the city center, a Palestinian terrorist pulled out a kitchen knife and stabbed one of the passengers on board to death. His victim was Hannah Bladon, a 21-year-old British exchange student.

An off-duty policeman and another passenger managed to subdue the knife-wielding terrorist before he could hurt anyone else.

Medics who were on the scene moments after the attack administered emergency treatment to a critically injured Bladon before taking her to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital. She died of her wounds shortly after her arrival.

The Shin Bet (Israeli internal security organization) issued a statement shortly after the attack, identifying the terrorist as Jamil Tamimi, a 57-year-old Palestinian from east Jerusalem. According to the statement, the terrorist had serious mental health issues and used the attack as an attempted suicide. The terrorist told investigators that he targeted Bladon because he wanted to die and hoped that the armed soldier standing next to her would shoot and kill him.

“This is another case, out of many, where a Palestinian who is suffering from personal, mental or moral issues chooses to carry out a terror attack in order to find a way out of their problems,” the statement said.

At the time of the attack, Bladon was standing next to the tram’s exit doors. She had been sitting further back on the light rail, but gave up her seat for a woman holding a baby. This final act of kindness put her directly in the terrorist’s murderous path.

Bladon was a student majoring in religion, theology and archaeology from the University of Birmingham. She embarked on a program as an exchange student at the Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School at the beginning of the year. She was set to complete the program in September. Bladon was returning from taking part in an archaeological dig under the Old City when she was murdered.

After arriving in Israel in January, Bladon posted a picture of the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount on her Facebook page. In response to some concerns about her safety, she wrote to reassure her loved ones, “I’m ok, thanks! Security is really tight on campus so no worries at the mo[ment]! Managed to see a lot of sites before starting my classes today so defo (definitely) having a great time!”

Tributes to Bladon started pouring in shortly after her death. Her family issued a statement via Britain’s Foreign Office, saying “Hannah was the most caring, sensitive and compassionate daughter you could ever wish for. Our family is devastated by this senseless and tragic attack.”

Head of theology and religion at Birmingham University, Dr. Andrew Davis, lauded Bladon as “a rare treasure.” Speaking to British daily, The Burton Mail, Davis said, “I think one of the first things that struck us about her was her enthusiasm. She was always first to be there for lectures, even in the early hours of the morning. Really enthusiastic, really dedicated and really committed—clear first-class material, and she wanted to be an academic in the future.”

The Israel Antiquities Authority, with whom Bladon had worked on the morning of her murder, also issued a statement. “The Israel Antiquities Authority joins the mourning of the Bladon family for the murder of their daughter, Hannah. Hannah volunteered in the last few days in the archaeological excavation run by the authority in the Western Wall tunnel, where she was due to return after the holiday. May she rest in peace.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement condemning the attack and expressing his condolences. “Radical Islamic terrorism is striking world capitals. Regretfully, terrorism struck today in Israel’s capital—Jerusalem,” he said in a statement. “A Palestinian terrorist murdered in cold blood… a British citizen. In the name of all the people of Israel, I send my condolences to the family of the victim.”

Friday’s murder marks the third terror attack this month in the vicinity of the Old City of Jerusalem. On April 1st, a knife-wielding Palestinian stabbed two Jewish teenagers and a border police officer, lightly wounding them. Four days earlier a Palestinian woman tried to stab a policeman stationed near the Damascus Gate with a pair of scissors.

Security in Israel’s capital has been particularly tight over the past week, during which some 150,000 visitors from around the globe visited Jerusalem to celebrate Passover and Easter at the Western Wall and Christian Quarter. This year, both of these holidays were celebrated at the same time.

Posted on April 18, 2017

Source: (Bridges for Peace, 18 April 2017)