Bus on Jaffa Road

A Story of Middle East Terrorism and the Search for Justice

By: Mike Kelly

Narrated by: John McLain

Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

As the morning sunlight crept over the limestone walls of Jerusalem's old city, two young Americans flagged down a bus and got on. It was 6:45 a.m., February 25, 1996 - an otherwise ordinary Sunday in Israel. Sara Duker and Matthew Eisenfeld settled into their seats as the door closed on Jerusalem's Number 18 bus which would take them across the spine of this ancient city of hills.

On this day, they had risen earlier than normal in the hope of touring an archaeological site. After a few more stops, their bus turned on Jerusalem's Jaffa Road and rolled up a slight hill and stopped again. A young man, who seemed to be a student and was carrying a black duffle bag, got on. No one paid much attention to him, witnesses said later. Students carrying duffle bags or backpacks are a common sight in Jerusalem.

But this man was no student. He took a seat. After several more stops, he stood and pushed a button attached to his duffle bag - and set off a huge bomb. Sara and Matthew died in the explosion. So did 24 others, along with the bomber. Their grieving families of the Americans set out to get answers and justice.

So begins the story of The Bus on Jaffa Road. The narrative weaves from the streets of Jerusalem to a West Bank refugee camp to the White House, Congress, and a US courtroom where the victims' families filed a lawsuit against Iran for financing the bombing - then to a prison in the Negev desert in Israel where the author confronts the man who build the bomb on the Jaffa Road bus. It is a story that prefigures many of the difficulties of America's "war on terrorism" and reminds us of the intractable nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that continues to this day.

©2014 Mike Kelly (P)2018 Tantor

Too many topics for one book

This is a good book. And considering it deals with the most important issues regarding terrorism in our time, it’s a necessary read. The only problem is focus. The Jaffa road bombing is a side note. This book bites off too much and it could be separated into 3 or 4 books. That would make it easier to follow. The issues are just too complicated. But other than that, it’s very pertinent information.

A complete waste of a non-aligned reader’s time.

This is not, as the introduction to the book claims, a story of Mideast terrorism. It only tells the story of Arab terrorism. and Israeli suffering. I was hoping for a balanced approach that would help me understand the complexities of the situation. This is the last book one should read if that is your goal.