Jewish synagogue in Jerusalem attacked

(Baonghean) - On Tuesday, November 18, Israeli authorities said that at least four people were killed while praying at a synagogue in Har Nof, west of Jerusalem. The attack left four other worshippers and two police officers injured. Police announced that the two attackers were killed.

The two attackers, both Palestinians from East Jerusalem, entered the synagogue armed with a pistol and an axe, police said, in what appeared to be revenge for the death of Palestinian bus driver Youssef Ramouni, who was found dead in the bus he drove every day in West Jerusalem on Monday.

Police clear the scene of a bombing in Har Nof on November 18. Photo: AFP/Gali Tibbon

Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that rules the Gaza Strip, praised the attack. A Hamas spokesman said it was a response to “a series of crimes committed by the Israelis at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, meanwhile, condemned “an attack on civilians praying in a synagogue is a crime, no matter who the perpetrators are.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only condemned the attack, but also accused Mahmoud Abbas’s Islamist party of “directly inciting the ongoing violence in the region.” Benjamin promised that Israel would respond “with an iron fist to the deaths of Jews” at their holy synagogue.

The attack comes amid escalating tensions in Israel, the West Bank and Jerusalem, where Palestinian protesters and Israeli police clash daily. Five Israelis and one foreign tourist have been killed in Palestinian car crashes and stabbings in the past month. Six Palestinians have also been killed, including the attacker.

The international community has reacted strongly to the news of the attack on the Jewish prayer synagogue. French President Francois Hollande condemned the attack, calling it a “heinous crime” and “those who applauded it are equally disgusting.” US Secretary of State John Kerry said it was “an act of terrorism and this act is completely senseless.” Kerry called on Palestinian leaders to refrain from inciting violence against Israelis.

Chu Thanh

(According to LeMonde November 18)