The Sbarro Bombing: A Wound That Still Hurts

The early 2000s were among the most painful years in Israel’s modern history. The Second Intifada brought a wave of terror attacks that targeted buses, cafes, markets, and city streets. Daily life was overshadowed by fear, with families unsure whether ordinary outings would end in tragedy. Despite constant security efforts and the prevention of many planned attacks, not every plot could be stopped.

One of the most devastating of these attacks was the bombing at the Sbarro restaurant in Jerusalem.

The Sbarro Attack

On the 20th of Av, as the streets of Jerusalem were filled with families enjoying their summer vacation, a suicide bomber entered the crowded Sbarro pizzeria on the corner of King George Street and Jaffa Road. He carried an explosive device concealed inside an acoustic guitar. When the restaurant was full, he detonated the bomb.

The explosion caused catastrophic devastation. Fifteen Jews were murdered, including seven children, and approximately 140 people were injured, many of them severely.

A Family Destroyed

Among the victims was the Schijveschuurder family. Five members of the family were killed in the attack: both parents and three of their children. Two additional children were left seriously injured. Their loss became a painful symbol of the cruelty of the attack and the immense human cost of terror.

Aftermath and Painful Consequences

The Sbarro bombing was one of the deadliest attacks of the Second Intifada and provoked shock and horror in Israel and around the world. In response, Israel carried out actions against the Palestinian Authority and arrested several of those responsible for planning the attack. However, in later years, many of these terrorists were released as part of the prisoner exchange deal for Gilad Shalit, reopening wounds for the families of the victims.