Ramat Rachel shooting attack

The Ramat Rachel shooting attack was a mass shooting carried out by Jordanian Legion soldiers, on September 23, 1956, who opened fire across the Israel/Jordan border on a group of Israeli archaeologists working inside Israeli sovereign territory near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel. Four Jewish archaeologists were killed in the event and 16 others were wounded.

Ramat Rachel shooting attack
Part of Palestinian Fedayeen insurgency

The attack site
LocationKibbutz Ramat Rachel, Israel
DateSeptember 23, 1956
Attack type
Shooting attack
Deaths4 Israelis
Injured16 Israelis
PerpetratorsJordanian Legion soldiers

The attack

On Sunday, 23 September 1956, a tour was held for a group of Israeli archaeologists at the archaeological excavations near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel. During the tour machine-gun fire was opened on the archaeologists from Jordanian positions at Mar Elias Monastery near the Jerusalem-Bethlehem road. The fire killed four people, including the archaeologist Jacob Pinkerfeld, and 16 others were wounded. Another person who was seriously injured in the shooting died eventually of his wounds five years later.

Official reactions

  •  Jordan: Jordan expressed regret for the incident and blamed a single soldier who was "suddenly taken by madness".[1]
  •  Israel: Israeli foreign ministry spokesman called Jordan's version completely unfounded, quoting witnesses at the event who stated that two submachine guns and three rifles were clearly seen firing from two Jordanian army outposts across the border at the archaeologists in Ramat Rachel.[1]

Aftermath

In response to the Ramat Rachel shooting attack, The Israeli Defence Forces carried out the Operation Lulav on September 25, 1956; the counterattack was held in the Arab village Husan, near Bethlehem.

References

  1. Israel Rejects Jordan's Claim Madman Killed 3, Meriden Journal, 24 September 1956, accessed 16 August 2016
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