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Ramat Rachel shooting attack

On 23 September 1956, Jordanian Legion soldiers opened machine-gun fire from positions near Mar Elias Monastery on a group of Israeli archaeologists touring an excavation site near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, killing four and wounding 16.

SOLVED1956

Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, near Jerusalem

3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
File:Ramat Rachel Archeological Park 1001 07.jpg
File:Ramat Rachel Archeological Park 1001 07.jpg — Credit: Daniel Ventura · CC BY-SA 4.0

On Sunday, 23 September 1956, a tour was being held for a group of Israeli archaeologists at archaeological excavations near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, within Israeli sovereign territory. During the tour, machine-gun fire was opened on the group from Jordanian positions near Mar Elias Monastery, close to the Jerusalem–Bethlehem road.

The gunfire killed four people, including the archaeologist Jacob Pinkerfeld, and wounded 16 others. One additional person who was seriously injured in the attack later died of his wounds, approximately five years afterward.

In the aftermath, Jordan issued a statement expressing regret for the incident, attributing it to a single soldier described as having been "suddenly taken by madness." Israel's foreign ministry rejected this account as "completely unfounded," citing witnesses at the scene who stated that two submachine guns and three rifles were clearly seen firing from two separate Jordanian army outposts across the border toward the archaeologists at Ramat Rachel.

In response to the attack, the Israel Defense Forces carried out a counterattack, Operation Lulav, on 25 September 1956, targeting the Arab village of Husan near Bethlehem. The operation resulted in the deaths of 39 Jordanian soldiers and ten Israeli paratroopers.

Key facts

Victims
Jacob Pinkerfeld
Date
1956
Location
Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, near Jerusalem
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1956-09-23

    Jordanian Legion soldiers opened machine-gun fire from positions near Mar Elias Monastery on a group of Israeli archaeologists touring excavations near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, killing four and wounding 16.

  2. 1956-09-25

    The Israel Defense Forces carried out Operation Lulav, a counterattack on the Arab village of Husan near Bethlehem, resulting in the deaths of 39 Jordanian soldiers and ten Israeli paratroopers.

  3. 1961

    A person seriously injured in the 1956 shooting died of his wounds, approximately five years after the attack.

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People

  • Jacob Pinkerfeld

    VICTIM

    Archaeologist killed in the 23 September 1956 shooting attack while touring excavations near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • File:Ramat Rachel Archeological Park 1001 07.jpg

    archival location

    File:Ramat Rachel Archeological Park 1001 07.jpg

    Credit: Daniel Ventura · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

Places

Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, near Jerusalem

31.7396, 35.2170

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On 23 September 1956, Jordanian Legion soldiers opened machine-gun fire from positions near Mar Elias Monastery on a group of Israeli archaeologists touring an excavation site near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, killing four and wounding 16.
Where did the shooting happen?
Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, near Jerusalem.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
More cases in Israel

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICRamat Rachel shooting attackWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESS1948-1967 Major Terror Attacksembassies.gov.il · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSBlack Arrow Memorialkkl-jnf.org · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026
Last verified against sources
JUL 07, 2026

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