In the wake of yesterday’s terrible terror attack near Jerusalem’s central bus station, the leadership of the Orthodox Union called upon “the world’s leaders to loudly and clearly state that terror and murder of innocent Israelis is unconscionable, and that the propagation of hateful views toward Israel and Jews is unacceptable…Leaders of the United States, European countries and the United Nations must be unequivocal in their condemnation of today’s terrorism and of the environment of incitement. When children are murdered in their beds and bystanders at bus stops are assaulted, there is no room for nuanced statements.”
It is worth looking at how key leaders responded to this heinous crime:
The White House released a statement in which President Barack Obama said: “I condemn in the strongest possible terms the bombing in Jerusalem today, as well as the rockets and mortars fired from Gaza in recent days. Together with the American people, I offer my deepest condolences for those injured or killed. There is never any possible justification for terrorism. The United States calls on the groups responsible to end these attacks at once and we underscore that Israel, like all nations, has a right to self-defense.” (The President also expressed “condolences” for the recent deaths of several Palestinians in Gaza in an incident for which Prime Minister Netanyahu has expressed regret)
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon issued a statement in which he “strongly condemn[ed]” the attack and deemed it “unacceptable.”
Among congressional leaders, U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor issued a statement assailing the attack as having “no justification” and “another chilling reminder of the obstacles Israel faces in its quest to live in peace with its neighbors.” and U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi deemed the attack “incomprehensible.”
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said the attack was a “sobering reminder” of the threats Israel faces and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand spoke of the attack as “reprehensible.”
With the one fatality of the terror attack identified as a British citizen, it is worth noting that British Foreign Secretary William Hague denounced the attack as “despicable.”
All in all, these statements meet the standard that the Orthodox Union leadership called for in the wake of the attack. It is, of course, terrible that a heinous act of terror resulting in tragic consequences for innocent civilians serves to bring forth clarity and some amount of unity.
Posted by Nathan J. Diament