Zvi Bahat

Oct 4, 2003 - Zvi Bahat, 35, of Haifa was one of 21 people killed in a suicide bombing carried out by a female terrorist from Jenin in the Maxim restaurant in Haifa. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.

The blast devastated the restaurant, of joint Jewish-Arab ownership, on Hahagana Boulevard near the southern entrance of the coastal city. It was packed mostly with regular Saturday customers. The bomber, Hanadi Jaradat, a 29-year-old lawyer from Jenin, managed to get past Maxim's security guard before blowing herself up in the middle of the restaurant. The security guard, an Israeli Arab, was killed in the attack, along with three other Israeli Arab employees of the restaurant. The victims included five members of the Almog family from Haifa and five members of the Zer-Aviv family from Kibbutz Yagur. Four children were killed and 60 people were wounded in the bombing.

Tova and Zvi (Tziki) Bahat with their two small children had just finished lunch at the Maxim restaurant, as they did every Saturday after spending the morning at the beach. Zvi, who was waiting on line to pay the bill, was killed when the terrorist detonated the bomb. Tova, who was lightly wounded, managed to evacuate her daughter Inbar, 6, and son Hadar, 3, before returning to find the body of her husband Zvi. "A tiny consolation was that he was whole, and as handsome as he always was," she said.

Three-year-old Hadar, who suffered a head wound, is in critical condition, fighting for his life. His mother made an impassioned plea for her son: "He is simply fighting for his life. The first thing that I ask from everyone who hears me, is to send a prayer, everyone in his own way, that he should have the strength to overcome. He is a strong boy, and beautiful - so much like his father, and I just have to have him remain alive."

Zvi attended the Alliance high school in Haifa and completed his army service in the Nahal. He studied business management at the School for Management and worked in the family business. Friends described him as good-looking, smart and funny, admired in his field as an honest and professional man. He was devoted to his family, and would come home from work every afternoon at 4:00 pm to spend time with his children.

Zvi Bahat was buried in Kibbutz Afek. He is survived by his wife Tova and their two children, as well as his parents and sister.