Ramat Rachel shooting attack

Ramat Rachel shooting attack
The attack site
Location	Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, Israel
Date	September 23, 1956
Attack type	Shooting attack
Deaths	4 Israelis
Non-fatal injuries	16 Israelis
Perpetrators	Jordanian Legion soldiers

The Ramat Rachel shooting attack was a shooting attack 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.

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

External links

• Gunfire Kills Three Israelis - Published in Milwaukee Journal on September 23, 1956 (dead link as of August 2016)