AJC Praises World Leaders Who Condemned Jerusalem Synagogue Attack

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Nov 18, 2014, 12:08 ET

NEW YORK, Nov. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC praised world leaders who have spoken out against today's deadly Palestinian terror attack on a Jerusalem synagogue during morning prayers. Four worshipers were killed and at least six others wounded by the two terrorists who struck with guns, axes and knives.

"Jerusalem is on edge, thanks to Palestinian incitement from the top of the Palestinian Authority, as well as its unity government partner Hamas," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "We applaud those leaders who have spoken out quickly, forcefully, and unequivocally in the face of this barbaric attack."

This is a sampling of statements to date:

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called the attack "a pure result of incitement," and laudably urged the Palestinian leadership "to take serious steps to restrain any kind of incitement that comes from their language, from other people's language, and exhibit the kind of leadership that is necessary to put this region on a different path."
French President François Hollande condemned "the heinous terrorist attack carried out this morning in Jerusalem, as well as those people who dared to praise the act."
Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, denouncing what he called a "savage terrorist attack," said "attacks on innocent worshipers, in what is supposed to be a place of peace and tranquility, are cowardly and must never be tolerated."
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said: "The fact that a place of worship has now become the scene of deadly attacks targeting innocent believers is a terrible transgression in an already extremely tense situation."
Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa said: "The murder of Jews praying in a synagogue is a crime."

SOURCE American Jewish Committee