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hijacking, he had refused to be silent when gunmen took his watch and cigarettes, becoming brusque and complaining in his slurred speech; this antagonized some of the hijackers, though one of them gave
Klinghoffer his possessions back. Additionally, Klinghoffer was Jewish and American, and his wheelchair made him both difficult to move around the ship and his absence less likely to cause resistance among the surviving hostages. One of the hijackers, Youssef Majed al-Molqi, later gave a statement on why he was chosen: "I and Bassm agreed that the first hostage to be killed had to be an American. I chose Klinghoffer, an invalid, so that they would know that we had no pity for anyone, just as the Americans, arming Israel, do not take into consideration that Israel kills women and children of our people."
266:
down into the lounge. Marilyn
Klinghoffer noticed that Leon was not there and began to weep. Molqi shot Leon Klinghoffer once in the head and again in the chest. He died instantly, toppling onto his face. Molqi then went in and ordered De Souza to throw the body over the side of the ship. When De Souza was unable to do the task alone, Molqi found Italian hairdresser Ferruccio Alberti and forced the two of them at gunpoint to throw the body and then the wheelchair into the sea.
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from the Army in
January 1944, Klinghoffer and his brother Albert took over the store and began to invent appliances. A few years later, the two brothers founded the Roto-Broil Corporation of America. Their feature item was the Roto-Broil Rotisserie Oven or Roto-Broil 400, a common kitchen appliance
265:
Molqi ordered Manuel De Souza, a
Portuguese waiter, to accompany him and push Klinghoffer outside onto the open deck. Klinghoffer was taken back along the entire deck of the ship to the stern. Molqi ordered De Souza to return into the ship. The other terrorists moved the rest of the hostages back
269:
Several of the hostages heard the shots and splashes, including
Marilyn Klinghoffer. She pleaded with the hijackers to let her see her husband in the infirmary, but they refused. She feared the worst but remained hopeful. She learned the truth only after the hijackers left the ship at Port Said.
261:
As 3:00 p.m. neared, the terrorists began to decide who to kill by shuffling the U.S., British, and
Austrian hostages' passports. They selected Leon Klinghoffer to be killed first. Several reasons have been proposed that may have contributed to why Klinghoffer was chosen. Earlier in the
273:
Molqi ordered De Rosa to tell the
Syrians that a passenger had been killed and that they were prepared to kill another. The Syrians responded by telling Molqi to "go back where you came from". Finding no help in Syria, Molqi ordered De Rosa to move the ship to Libya.
270:
Molqi, with blood-splattered clothing, returned to the other terrorists and told them, "I have killed the
American". He and Bassam al-Ashker then went to the bridge. Handing Klinghoffer's passport to Captain De Rosa, he raised a finger and said "boom, boom".
339:. The foundation combats terrorism through educational, political, and legal means. The foundation is funded by an undisclosed settlement paid by the PLO to the Klinghoffers to settle a lawsuit seeking damages for the PLO's role in the hijacking (
31:
257:
The hijackers said that if the prisoners were not released they would begin killing hostages: "We will start executing at 3:00 p.m. sharp." Syria, having consulted with the U.S. and
Italian governments, did not respond to any of the demands.
347:, 937 F.2d 44, 50 (2d Cir. 1991). This lawsuit spurred passage of the Antiterrorism Act of 1990, which made it easier for victims of terrorism to sue terrorists and collect civil damages for losses incurred.
547:
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362:, aware of Abbas' arriving in Gaza, neither asked for his extradition nor requested he be given to Italy who had found him guilty in absentia. The U.S. Senate passed a resolution 99–0 asking President
814:
468:
shared in the work's commission but never presented it. The opera has since drawn controversy, including allegations by some (including
Klinghoffer's two daughters) that the opera is
308:
Klinghoffer's body was found by Syrians on October 14 or 15, and it was returned to the United States about October 20. His funeral, with 800 mourners in attendance, was performed at
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in Italy. After an extradition dispute, Italian authorities arrested and tried the Palestinian terrorists but decided that there was insufficient evidence to associate
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on November 30, 1994. After evacuating the ship of passengers, the crew could not control the fire, and the abandoned ship sank on December 2. Two people died.
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Five days after the murder, Rabbi Morris Gordon and a group of student activists performed a mock Jewish funeral service for Leon Klinghoffer in front of the
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After the death of their parents, the Klinghoffers' daughters established the Leon and Marilyn Klinghoffer Memorial Foundation with the
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While he was growing up, Klinghoffer worked in his family's hardware store, Klinghoffer Supply Company. In 1942, he joined the
140:(September 24, 1916 – October 8, 1985) was an American man who was shot, killed and thrown overboard from the cruise ship
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said that perhaps the terminally ill Marilyn had killed her husband for insurance money. However, the PLF leader
460:' second opera, based on the events of 1985. It opened to great controversy in 1991. It featured a libretto by
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250:, Syria, and demanded the release of 50 Palestinians, then in Israeli prisons, including the Lebanese prisoner
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with his wife Marilyn to celebrate their 36th wedding anniversary. On October 7, four hijackers from the
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Klinghoffer (and his supposed travel diary) play a minor role in Philip Roth's 1993 novel
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and glorifies terrorism. The work's creators and others have disputed these criticisms. A
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ordered a U.S. fighter airplane to intercept the getaway airplane, forcing it to land at
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246:, Egypt. Taking the passengers and crew hostage, they ordered the captain to travel to
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In 1985, Klinghoffer (then 69, retired, and using a wheelchair) was on a cruise on the
604:'Vacation of a Lifetime' Ends in Tragedy : Klinghoffer: Life of Hard Work, Giving
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said in 1996 that the hijack was a mistake, and apologized for killing Klinghoffer.
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316:. On February 9, four months after his death, his wife (1926–1986) died of
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in New York City. Klinghoffer was buried at Beth David Memorial Park in
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476:-winning television version of the opera, starring Sanford Sylvan and
383:, returned to cruise duty until it was caught afire off the coast of
317:
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480:, and directed by Penny Woolcock, was screened by United Kingdom's
238:(PLF) took control of the liner off Egypt as it was traveling from
805:"Marilyn Klinghoffer Dies at 58; Wife of Victim of Ship Hijackers"
394:
354:, a.k.a. Abu Abbas, was freed by the Italian government after the
320:. They were survived by two daughters, Ilsa and Lisa Klinghoffer.
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979:"Protests Greet Metropolitan Opera's Premiere of 'Klinghoffer'"
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Klinghoffer married Marilyn (born Windwehr), the daughter of a
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35:
The last photo of Leon Klinghoffer, taken on the cruise ship
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Star-crossed voyager: The sad career of the MS Achille Lauro
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to request Abbas' extradition to the US. He was captured in
725:"U.S. rejects terrorist's apology for Klinghoffer murder"
638:
Obsessives, Pioneers, and Other Varieties of Minor Genius
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The hijacking was made into a television movie in 1990,
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United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
16:
American man killed in the 1985 Achille Lauro hijacking
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Initially, the hijackers were granted safe passage to
452:, who was a major collaborator, as was choreographer
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and was trained as a navigator. He flew missions in
496:Klinghoffer is also mentioned in the graphic novel
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698:"P.L.O. Aide in a Charge Against Mrs. Klinghoffer"
680:"Terrorism – The Voyage of The Achille Lauro"
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529:
162:Klinghoffer grew up on Suffolk Street in the
8:
610:. 13 October 1985. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
415:Voyage of Terror: The Achille Lauro Affair
402:, who originated the concept of the opera
29:
18:
915:
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836:Saperstein, Saundra (October 14, 1985).
795:
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377:The ship involved in the hijacking, the
627:. 1 May 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
525:
343:, 739 F. Supp. 854 (S.D.N.Y. 1990) and
933:"Liner Achille Lauro Burns Off Africa"
875:"8 U.S. Code Chapter 113B – Terrorism"
817:from the original on November 14, 2023
1070:American manufacturing businesspeople
678:Smith, William E. (21 October 1985).
7:
1065:American businesspeople in retailing
1055:20th-century American businesspeople
977:Cooper, Michael (October 20, 2014).
408:and directed its first performance.
330:Palestinian Liberation Organization
1075:Jewish American military personnel
1016:American Jewish Historical Society
640:. Little, Brown and Company, 2009.
436:The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro
370:in 2003 by U.S. forces during the
14:
1100:Businesspeople from New York City
1095:Antisemitic attacks and incidents
1085:American people with disabilities
931:Cowell, Alan (December 1, 1994).
862:Court Docket for Klinghoffer Case
570:"Jack Kirby Interview – Part III"
448:originated with theatre director
276:Palestine Liberation Organization
752:Terrorist Abu Abbas dies in Iraq
207:European theatre of World War II
1120:People from the Lower East Side
1080:American people murdered abroad
584:Jack Kirby Interview (Part III)
550:from the original on 2011-06-05
1023:"Going Under with Klinghoffer"
901:Abbas died of 'natural causes'
625:New York Times Diner's Journal
170:. Among his close friends was
1:
838:"Jewish Students Protest PLO"
433:in the 1989 television movie
166:neighborhood of Manhattan in
621:Bringing Back the Roto-Broil
148:Palestinian Liberation Front
880:Legal Information Institute
766:The Achille Lauro Hijacking
656:Ministry of Foreign Affairs
456:. It was American composer
299:Naval Air Station Sigonella
199:Consolidated B-24 Liberator
1156:
1105:Deaths by firearm in Syria
1090:American terrorism victims
1060:20th-century American Jews
236:Palestine Liberation Front
221:
1130:Terrorism deaths in Syria
1012:Klinghoffer Family Papers
1007:CNN report by David Ensor
442:The concept of the opera
429:Klinghoffer was acted by
63:, New York, United States
28:
1125:People murdered in Syria
763:Michael K. Bohn (2004).
706:. 1985-12-05. p. A9
445:The Death of Klinghoffer
405:The Death of Klinghoffer
278:(PLO) Foreign Secretary
102:Beth David Memorial Park
224:Achille Lauro hijacking
1115:Murdered American Jews
1028:Jewish Review of Books
769:. Potomac Books, Inc.
409:
360:Clinton administration
337:Anti-Defamation League
314:Kenilworth, New Jersey
218:Hijacking and shooting
203:93rd Bombardment Group
115:Appliance manufacturer
105:Kenilworth, New Jersey
959:, "Breaking Taboos".
803:(February 10, 1986).
398:
372:2003 invasion of Iraq
310:Temple Shaaray Tefila
293:, but U.S. president
1140:1985 murders in Asia
967:, 543–548 (May 2003)
957:Christiansen, Rupert
572:. Jack Kirby Museum.
305:with the hijacking.
842:The Washington Post
801:McFadden, Robert D.
636:Gladwell, Malcolm.
602:Associated Press. "
478:Christopher Maltman
211:honorable discharge
123:Marilyn Klinghoffer
89:Cause of death
983:The New York Times
937:The New York Times
810:The New York Times
703:The New York Times
410:
345:Klinghoffer v. PLO
341:Klinghoffer v. PLO
214:during the 1950s.
154:the ship in 1985.
146:by members of the
57:September 24, 1916
608:Los Angeles Times
490:Operation Shylock
466:Los Angeles Opera
201:bombers with the
135:
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1021:Mitchell Cohen,
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733:. 24 April 1996
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164:Lower East Side
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1001:External links
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659:. 13 July 2008
651:"Samir Kuntar"
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986:. Retrieved
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886:December 27,
884:. Retrieved
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364:Bill Clinton
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252:Samir Kuntar
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209:. After his
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79:
74:(1985-10-08)
36:
1050:1985 deaths
1045:1916 births
988:October 20,
474:Prix Italia
470:antisemitic
454:Mark Morris
431:Karl Malden
183:haberdasher
176:comic books
1039:Categories
1018:, New York
942:August 11,
821:August 11,
782:January 7,
710:2009-07-11
554:2018-09-13
520:References
458:John Adams
418:featuring
391:Portrayals
240:Alexandria
172:Jack Kirby
112:Occupation
53:1916-09-24
737:12 August
663:28 August
514:Alex Odeh
502:Joe Sacco
498:Palestine
484:in 2003.
482:Channel 4
324:Aftermath
303:Abu Abbas
244:Port Said
905:BBC News
815:Archived
548:Archived
508:See also
152:hijacked
128:Children
93:Shooting
41:in 1985.
1014:at the
589:YouTube
543:Haaretz
385:Somalia
291:Tunisia
205:in the
773:
318:cancer
248:Tartus
189:Career
120:Spouse
965:54(5)
961:Opera
990:2014
944:2022
888:2014
849:2018
823:2022
784:2013
771:ISBN
739:2022
684:Time
665:2015
422:and
368:Iraq
150:who
69:Died
47:Born
730:CNN
623:."
606:."
587:on
500:by
242:to
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51:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
