It’s encouraging that the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is persisting with legal efforts to deport Mohsen Mahdawi, who was arrested for undermining U.S. foreign policy and government counter-antisemitism efforts with his pro-Hamas campus activism. If successful, he will be deported to Jordan.
I follow this case with more than passive curiosity. Nearly 25 years have passed since 15-year-old American citizen Malki Roth was murdered in the bombing of the Sbarro restaurant in Jerusalem on August 9, 2001. Malki was one of 16 innocent people killed and 130 injured that day. She was a gifted young girl, full of kindness, faith, and promise. Malki was also an American citizen. Her life was stolen by terrorists who deliberately targeted families eating lunch on a summer afternoon.
The woman who selected the target, escorted the suicide bomber to Jerusalem, and masterminded the attack was Hamas terrorist Ahlam Tamimi. She has never expressed remorse. On the contrary, she has repeatedly boasted about her role in the massacre and openly celebrated the murder of civilians, including children.
Today, Tamimi lives freely in Jordan, where she is celebrated as a hero.
As the DHS seeks to deport one terror supporter to Jordan, I ask why the United States is not doing everything possible to have Tamimi extradited from Jordan to face justice. As an American, I have a direct interest because I expect my country to do everything to protect Americans from Islamic terrorists.
This reality is not only an insult to the victims and their families. It is an affront to justice itself.
The United States has charged Tamimi with terrorism-related offenses because American citizens were among those murdered in the attack. In 2017, the FBI placed her on its list of most wanted terrorists and announced a $5 million reward for information leading to her arrest. The United States has sought her extradition so that she can stand trial in an American court.
Jordan has refused.
Jordan’s government has argued that its extradition treaty with the United States is not enforceable under Jordanian law! Yet while Jordan continues to resist, the treaty remains recognized by the United States, and Jordan continues to enjoy a close strategic partnership with America that includes substantial military, economic, and diplomatic support.
No nation that claims to oppose terrorism should provide safe haven to an admitted terrorist. Certainly not an ally of the United States.
This is not a political issue. It is not about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is not about competing narratives. It is about accountability for the deliberate murder of innocent people. It is about exercising American law to bring a convicted terrorist to justice. (Follow the conversation with Arnold Roth, Malki’s father, here about how Tamimi still roams free, as a hero.)
If a terrorist who murdered Jordanians, Americans, Europeans, or any other civilians were being sheltered elsewhere, the international community would rightly demand action. The principle should be no different here.
Jordan has often presented itself as a moderate and responsible partner in the struggle against extremism. Extraditing Tamimi would demonstrate that this commitment is more than rhetoric. It would send a clear message that those who murder civilians cannot escape justice simply by crossing a border or benefiting from political sensitivities.
But Jordan alone is not responsible for the current situation.
The United States bears responsibility as well.
For years, successive American administrations have spoken about the importance of justice for victims of terrorism. They have emphasized that no terrorist should find refuge from accountability. Yet in the case of Ahlam Tamimi, there has been no public pressure exerted on Jordan. This is striking, given how often its king is received as a VIP guest in Washington.
America possesses considerable influence in its relationship with Jordan. It provides substantial assistance and enjoys deep security cooperation with the Hashemite Kingdom. The United States routinely raises issues of mutual concern with allies around the world. Surely the extradition of a convicted terrorist responsible for the death of American citizens should rank among those concerns. Surely Jordan should be made to uphold its extradition agreement with the United States.
Justice delayed is not justice denied only for the victims, but it is also a dangerous signal to future terrorists. When perpetrators see that political calculations can outweigh legal obligations, deterrence suffers. When they observe that a confessed terrorist can live openly, grant interviews, and enjoy public acclaim, the message sent is profoundly damaging.
Civilized societies depend on the rule of law. Terrorism cannot be fought effectively, on the campus or in a pizzeria, if those responsible are permitted to evade prosecution.
The United States must make Tamimi’s extradition a priority. Members of Congress, administration officials, and American citizens should ask why an individual charged with terrorism offenses connected to the murder of Americans remains beyond the reach of U.S. courts. You can sign the petition to call American leaders to account as well.
Jordan cannot be allowed to harbor a convicted terrorist with blood on her hands. There cannot, and should not, be any safe haven for such monsters. Extradition would be an affirmation of justice and of the universal principle that the intentional murder of civilians is never acceptable.
Malki’s life mattered. The lives of all the victims mattered.
Justice matters, too.
The passage of time does not diminish the obligation to pursue it. If anything, the years of delay make that obligation even more urgent. Jordan should extradite Ahlam Tamimi to the United States. And the United States should insist—firmly, consistently, and publicly—that it happen.
Jonathan Feldstein is the President of the Genesis 123 Foundation and host of the “Inspiration from Zion” podcast.