Two U.S. ambassadors highlighted ongoing U.S. efforts to bring Ahlam Tamimi — who was convicted by Israeli courts for her involvement in the 2001 bombing of a Sbarro pizzeria in Jerusalem that killed 16 people, including three Americans — to face trial in the United States around the 25th anniversary of the terror attack.

Tamimi has resided in Jordan since being released from Israeli custody in 2011 as part of a deal that saw Israel free 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit, who was held hostage by Hamas for more than five years. 

U.S. advocates have long pushed for Jordan to extradite Tamimi to face trial in the U.S. on a pending indictment by the Department of Justice, calling for Amman to enforce a 1995 extradition treaty with the U.S. signed by King Hussein. But Amman has refused, claiming the treaty was never properly ratified by its parliament and is therefore invalid. 

Ambassador Yehuda Kaploun, the State Department’s antisemitism envoy, on Sunday called on X for Tamimi to face justice. Kaploun’s post was shared by the U.S. Embassy in Jordan, which is the body best poised to push the Jordanian monarchy to extradite Tamimi.

“Today, we mark 25 years since the Hamas terrorist attack at the Sbarro pizzeria in Jerusalem,” Kaploun said. “We remember the 16 victims murdered — including Americans Judith Greenbaum, Chana Nachenberg, and Malki Roth — and the more than 120 others injured. The United States will never forget and remains committed to bringing the perpetrators, including Ahlam al-Tamini, to justice.”

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also posted on Sunday about Tamimi, sharing a link to the Department of Justice page offering up to $5 million for information that could assist in her capture.

“Twenty-five years ago today, a Hamas suicide bomber murdered 16 people and injured more than 120 at the Sbarro pizzeria in Jerusalem. Among the victims were Americans Judith Greenbaum, Chana Nachenberg, and 15-year-old Malka Roth. May their memories be a blessing,” Huckabee said. “We stand with @Israel against terrorism in all its forms and remain committed to bringing every last fugitive of this heinous act to justice.”

Neither ambassador directly called on Jordan to extradite Tamimi to the U.S.

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Anti-Defamation League and other U.S.-based advocates including Roth’s father renewed their calls for Tamimi’s extradition last week.

Yael Lempert, the Biden administration’s nominee to serve as U.S. ambassador to Jordan, pledged during her confirmation hearing in 2023 to “do everything in my power” to secure Tamimi’s extradition, while declining to say that the U.S. should withhold aid to Amman to secure her capture.

Despite reports in early 2025 that Jordan had changed its posture and would seek to expel Tamimi, there has been no apparent progress toward securing her extradition.