The terrorists helped gather information on targets for the terror gang and helped collect arms more than a year before the attack that killed Dr. David Applebaum, formerly of Cleveland, and his daughter Nava, who was to be married the next day. Dr. Applebaum was an ordained rabbi and was director of the emergency room at Jerusalem’s Shaarei Tzedek Hospital.
The eastern Jerusalem terrorists were part of a larger Hamas gang, some members of which were arrested three months ago. They also were behind the deadly blast at a Tel Aviv bus stop earlier this year, and were planning more terrorist attacks.
Since the beginning of 2004, 51 eastern Jerusalem residents have been arrested for terrorism, much more than in previous years. The latest arrests were announced more than a month after the four were nabbed. They told security forces they hid a belt of explosives hidden in a crate of grapes and drove the suicide bomber to the popular restaurant. The Arabs live adjacent to the French Hill area, to where they fled after dropping off the suicide bomber.
Eyewitnesses to the attack said one of the security guards at the Hillel Cafe unsuccessfully tried to prevent the terrorist from entering the restaurant. Shortly before that, security guards at a nearby pizza place prevented him from entering the pizzeria, and he fled to the Hillel Cafe before anyone could be alerted.
Also killed in the attack, on September 9, 2003, were Yechiel Emil Toubol, 52, father of three; Gila Moshe, 40, mother of two; David Daniel Abistris of Mevaseret Zion, Alon Mizrachi, 22, and Shafik Karem, 22, a Christian Arab working as a waiter. More than 60 people were wounded.