Press Release: NJAC Wins Motion to Serve Fugitive Sbarro Bombing Terrorist Via Social Media, Hauling Her Into US Court for First Time
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2026
CONTACT:
National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC)
Phone: (332) 278-1100
Email: press@njaclaw.org
NJAC WINS MOTION TO SERVE FUGITIVE SBARRO BOMBING TERRORIST VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, HAULING HER INTO US COURT FOR FIRST TIME
Federal court authorizes service on terrorist through X, after decades beyond the reach of an American courtroom
The Estate of Malka “Malki” Roth, et al. v. Ahlam Aref Ahmad Al-Tamimi
Case No. 1:26-cv-02836-RCL (D.D.C.)
WASHINGTON, DC — After evading the long arm of American justice for twenty-five years, Ahlam Al-Tamimi – the convicted terrorist behind the 2001 Sbarro pizzeria bombing in Jerusalem, Israel – is being hauled into a US courtroom for the first time through the work of the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC).
Representing the family of Malki Roth, an American-Israeli teenager murdered in the Sbarro terror attack, NJAC filed a claim against Al-Tamimi under the Anti-Terrorism Act in August, in conjunction with the anniversary of Malki’s murder.
“After filing the complaint, finding Al-Tamimi to serve her was step two. But this is a woman who has evaded extradition to the US for over a decade, since her release from an Israeli prison,” explained Rachel Sebbag, NJAC litigator and attorney for plaintiffs.
After searching for a physical or email address for Al-Tamimi and coming up empty, the NJAC team turned to social media. Al-Tamimi’s personal social media accounts have been pulled from every platform where she has attempted to assert a presence. Ultimately, Al-Tamimi was identified as being a regular columnist for a Jordanian-Palestinian paper, Etar.
On Monday, the District Court for the District of Columbia granted the Roth family’s motion to serve Al-Tamimi by alternative means, specifically, by emailing Etar and publishing the court filings on X, with the instructions that Etar forward the material to their terrorist-columnist. Plaintiffs also sent the filings via email to Al-Tamimi’s last known attorney.
“This is an important step in bringing Al-Tamimi to justice for the murder of an American child,” said Sebbag. “Al-Tamimi has been on the FBI’s most wanted list since 2013, but she sits in Jordan, where she is regularly honored and celebrated for her heinous actions. The time is long past for Al-Tamimi to face the legal consequences of her acts of terror, and the American government ought to demand her immediate extradition from Jordan.”
“Terrorists cannot hide from American courts behind a border or a foreign government’s protection,” said David Benger, NJAC litigation counsel. “After plotting the murder of innocents, Al-Tamimi has spent years enjoying a public platform as a columnist. Now she must answer to the Roth family in an American courtroom.”
The Roth family is represented by NJAC and the Schoen Law Firm, LLC.
For more information, visit http://njaclaw.org/roth-v-al-tamimi.
The National Jewish Advocacy Center is a nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of the legal system to advocate for and protect Jewish civil rights using creative, innovative strategies.
Schoen Law Firm, LLC is exclusively a litigation firm focused mainly on criminal defense and civil rights cases and the representation of victims of terrorism.
For media inquiries or assistance, contact press@njaclaw.org or (332) 278-1100. This press release can be found at http://njaclaw.org on the News tab.
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