LONDON: US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday condemned an attack on a Jerusalem synagogue that killed four Israelis as an “act of pure terror and senseless brutality”.
Speaking in London ahead of talks with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, Kerry called on the Palestinian leadership to denounce the attack, which was carried out by two Palestinians armed with a gun and axes in the ultra-Orthodox Har Nof neighbourhood. “Our hearts go out for all Israelis for the atrocity of this event and for all the reminders of history that come with it,” Kerry told reporters.
“People who have come to worship god in a sanctuary of a synagogue were... murdered in a holy place in an act of pure terror and senseless brutality and murder.
“I call on the Palestinian leadership at every single level to condemn this in the most powerful terms... and take serious steps to restrain any kind of incitement”,” he added. “This violence has no place anywhere, particularly after the discussion that we had just the other day in Amman.” Six other people were wounded, among them two policemen, before the attackers were shot dead, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said, identifying them as Palestinians from east Jerusalem.
Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which dominates Gaza, welcomed the attack, which took place shortly before 7am (0500 GMT), saying it was revenge for the death earlier this week of a Palestinian bus driver from east Jerusalem who was found hanged inside his vehicle. Police said there was no evidence of foul play, blaming his death on suicide, with their findings backed up by a post-mortem.
But colleagues and family said there were signs of violence on his body and that he was murdered.
‘Result of Abbas, Hamas incitement’
JERUSALEM: An attack on a Jerusalem synagogue which killed four Israelis is the “direct result” of incitement by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “This is the direct result of incitement by Hamas and Abu Mazen (Abbas), incitement that the international community ignores in an irresponsible manner,” Netanyahu said in a statement. It added that he would meet security chiefs during the afternoon.AFP
