The Dolphinarium bombing in Tel Aviv on 1 June 2001
2026
The Dolphinarium bombing in Tel Aviv on 1 June 2001
Late on Friday 1 June 2001, a suicide bomber detonated explosives among people waiting to enter a nightclub near the Dolphinarium on the Tel Aviv seafront. Twenty-one victims died, many of them teenagers, and approximately 120 people were wounded. The figure of twelve deaths sometimes repeated online is incorrect.
Context
The gathering place was particularly popular among young people, including Russian-speaking immigrants and their families. The names of the dead show how deeply the attack struck the social world of recent immigration, school friendships and adolescent life. Memorial ceremonies focused on individual lives rather than only the statistics.
Context
The attack took place during the Second Intifada. It is essential to distinguish the historical event from other attacks on Tel Aviv nightlife. Government victim lists and contemporaneous UN correspondence preserve names and dates. They document the scale of the loss and provide a record for careful remembrance.