We are horrified and appalled by today’s gruesome attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem during morning prayers that left four dead and several others wounded. We condemn this act of terror in the strongest possible terms.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, three of whom are US citizens and one a British citizen, as well as their families. We wish the injured a speedy recovery. We stand with Israel, Jews around the world and all who care about peace at this moment of grief.
We welcome the swift and unequivocal condemnations of this heinous attack by Secretary of State John Kerry and by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. But we reject other comments by Palestinian officials including one posted on an official Fatah Facebook page, attempting to justify this attack as a response to conditions in the West Bank or recent Israeli actions. There can be no moral equivalence here: murder of innocent civilians is murder, made especially abhorrent by the fact that the targets were praying in a synagogue.
All responsible leaders vested in the future of Israelis, Palestinians and peace and security in the region should work to calm tensions and avoid actions that escalate an already toxic situation.