The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington on Tuesday issued a statement in which it condemned “the deadly spree of terrorist attacks in Israel and the seeming apathy of the global community.”
The JCRC, which is the public affairs arm of Washington’s organized Jewish community, was registering its “cumulative outrage” at the attacks and the pro forma statements against violence coming from world leaders, according to Ron Halber, executive director of the council.
“Those statements rang hollow,” he said.
The JCRC said Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “continues to support and even incite terrorism by calling for the killing of Israelis and Jews.”
Halber referred to a Sept. 16 speech in Ramallah by Abbas in which the Palestinian leader said that “every drop of blood spilled in Jerusalem is pure, every shahid [martyr] will reach paradise, and every injured person will be rewarded by God.”
Abbas also declared, “They have no right to desecrate the mosque with their dirty feet,” apparently a reference to Jews. Halber said the reference to dirty feet in effect compares Jews to animals and dehumanizes them.
The full text of the JCRC statement follows:
“The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Washington is incensed by the escalating wave of terrorism in Israel today – in four separate terrorist assaults 3 people were killed and dozens wounded. This continued wave of violence by terrorists and incitement by Palestinian official spokespersons and leaders must end. The violence and terrorism across Israel is profoundly disturbing and the seeming lack of response from the international community to this rising campaign of terror being waged against innocent Israelis is unacceptable.
“Today, two men were killed and 16 wounded in a combined shooting and stabbing spree on a bus by two terrorists in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood in Jerusalem; one man was killed and several wounded on Malchei Yisrael Street in Jerusalem in a car ramming attack; one person was badly wounded and two lightly wounded in a stabbing in Ra’anana; and one person lightly wounded in a second Ra’anana stabbing. We mourn for those who were killed and pray for the recovery of the injured and for the solace of their loved ones and their community. We offer our condolences to the families of the deceased.
“We support the Government of Israel’s efforts to provide the necessary security for its citizens. It is deplorable that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas continues to support and even incite terrorism by calling for the killing of Israelis and Jews and his lack of actions to quell the violence.
“We appreciate today’s statement from the U.S. Department of State condemning in the strongest terms today’s terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians. We urge President Barack Obama to support the Israeli government’s security efforts without reservation and ask him to call on the Palestinian Authority to use all possible measures to end this violence now.
“It is abundantly clear one side is provoking violence against innocent people.Too often, we have seen other nations issue even-handed, balanced statements calling on both sides to work for calm. In this instance, these statements are unacceptable.”
