Ahlam Tamimi Served US Lawsuit via Social Media in Sbarro Bombing Case

Ahlam Tamimi, the accomplice in the 2001 Sbarro restaurant bombing in Jerusalem, was served with legal documents on the social media platform X on Tuesday. This procedural step marks a significant development in a lawsuit filed by the National Jewish Advocacy Center on behalf of the estate of Malka Roth, a 15-year-old victim of the attack. The service was confirmed by Rabbi Dr. Mark Goldfeder, who represents the organization.

The US District Court for the District of Columbia approved the unusual method of service because Tamimi resides in Jordan at an address that remains unknown to the plaintiffs. The court ruled that serving her through social media was permissible given the difficulty in locating her physical residence. This decision allows the legal process to move forward despite Tamimi’s location abroad.

Following unsuccessful attempts to pinpoint Tamimi’s exact address in Jordan, the court instructed the plaintiffs to utilize a combination of methods to ensure proper notice. These steps included contacting Etar, a Jordan-based media outlet where Tamimi works as a columnist, and emailing Mustafa Nasrallah, the Jordanian attorney who previously represented her in extradition proceedings. Additionally, the plaintiffs were required to publish the summons online. The court determined that this multi-faceted approach was reasonably calculated to ensure Tamimi received notice of the legal action.

Tamimi was sentenced to 16 life terms for her role as an accomplice in the suicide bombing at the Sbarro restaurant on August 9, 2001. The attack killed 15 people, including seven children and a pregnant woman. At the time of the bombing, Tamimi was a university student and part-time journalist who scouted the location and escorted the bomber to the site before leaving. She was released in 2011 as part of the prisoner exchange deal involving Gilad Schalit and subsequently relocated to Jordan.

The United States continues to want Tamimi for conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction against a US national outside the country, resulting in death, and for aiding and abetting the attack. In addition to Malka Roth, two other American citizens died in the explosion: Judith Shoshana Greenbaum, who was pregnant, and Chana Nachenberg. Despite the criminal charges, which have remained unexecuted due to Jordan’s refusal to hand Tamimi over, the civil suit provides an alternative path for justice.

Goldfeder told The Jerusalem Post that Tamimi had spent the last 25 years in Amman boasting about killing Roth, confident that no American court could reach her. He noted that a federal judge in Washington authorized the service of papers on Monday, allowing the Roth family’s case to proceed whether or not Tamimi chooses to appear. He expressed frustration that both Washington and Amman had failed to act on the family’s requests over the years.

The legal team emphasizes that Congress created this civil remedy to ensure justice does not depend on the cooperation of another government. Goldfeder stated that the court’s findings will follow Tamimi wherever she goes, noting that she was difficult to reach rather than hard to find. He explained that a judgment under the Anti-Terrorism Act includes treble damages plus fees and is registrable in any federal district, effectively making it permanent and portable.

According to Goldfeder, the judgment attaches to any assets Tamimi owns or is owed that touch the US financial system or any country that recognizes American judgments, including most of Europe, the UK, Canada, and Israel. Although Jordan is not expected to enforce the judgment directly, it will become relevant if Tamimi travels, inherits assets, is paid through a dollar-clearing bank, or has a publisher with a Western footprint. He described this as the point where the judgment would effectively bite.

Goldfeder also hopes the case will have broader political implications, prompting greater scrutiny of US assistance to Jordan on Capitol Hill. He aims to challenge the respectability of the unratified treaty excuse used to justify Jordan’s inaction. He noted that after a judgment is issued, every outlet paying Tamimi is paying a US judgment debtor, making every transfer to her traceable and creating potential fraudulent-transfer issues for anyone helping her move assets.