Dominique Caroline Hess

Apr 30, 2003 - Dominique Caroline Hess, 29, of Tel Aviv, was one of three persons murdered by a suicide bomber who detonated himself at the entrance of Mike's Place, a pub on the Tel Aviv seafront promenade.

In the first such terrorist attack by foreign nationals, two British Muslims took part in what was to have been a double suicide bombing at the crowded Tel Aviv pub at about 1 a.m. One of the bombers blew himself up after being blocked by a security guard and the second would-be bomber fled when his explosives failed to detonate. Ran Baron and Yanai Weiss were also slain by the bomber, who wounded 60 others.

Dominique Hess came to Israel from France in 1997 and worked as a waitress at Mike's Place.

"She really loved Tel Aviv," said Tony and Rachel, two regulars at the pub. "She was one of the original waitresses at the place."

Hess studied cooking in Herzliya and wanted to open her own catering business, selling French pastry. She had come to the pub that night to ask the owner advice about setting up her own business.

Mike's Place co-onwer Gal Ganzman said he was worried who would inform Dominique's parents, who live in France. "Dominique worked here from the day we opened. She came to live in Israel alone, and we were her family here. She was my best friend... We're a family here, and now we've lost a dear sister."

Dominique Caroline Hess's body was flown to France for burial. She is survived by her parents and two sisters.