by Joshua Lapide

Homes demolished the of two terrorists who yesterday attacked the place of prayer in Har Nof. The two are not members of any organization. Abbas condemns the attack; Hamas in Gaza celebrate it. The UN secretary: We need a long-term solution for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Christian leaders visit the synagogue in solidarity with the victims. Patriarch of Jerusalem: We must get to the root of the conflict.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to respond to terrorism with an "iron fist" after the deadly assault yesterday morning in a synagogue in the Har Nof neighborhood, in the west of the city. Two Palestinians raided the place of prayer with guns and knives, killing four faithful and injuring at least eight people.

Witnesses claim to have seen some of the faithful with scarred faces, others with limbs amputated. The four killed, all rabbis, had dual nationality: three were British and one had a US passport. A  policeman who intervened also died from his injuries.

Netanyahu gave the order to demolish the houses of the authors of the massacre and to hasten the destruction of the houses of the authors of four other attacks that have occurred in recent weeks.

Tensions have been mounting in Jeruslaem for over a month now because of Zionist settlers and the Rabbi Yehuda Glick's demands for access to pray on Temple Mount. Earlier there was the kidnapping and murder of three young Israelis, which was followed by the kidnapping, torture and murder of a young Palestinian. These deaths have led to yet another edition of the war in Gaza, which left 2 thousand Palestinians and seven Israelis dead.

Netanyahu has spoken of a "battle" for Jerusalem the "eternal capital" and criticized Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, accusing him of being "directly responsible" for the massacre.

In fact, Abbas has condemned the killing of "men praying in a sacred place," but Hamas applauded the murder, while masked Palestinians in Gaza exhibited the picture of the two assailants, armed with axes and knives (v. Photo) . Others handed out sweets to celebrate.

The two Jabal Mukaber terrorists , are young cousins, Uday, 22, and Ghassan Abu-Jamal, 27 from East Jerusalem. The latter is married and has two children. According to their relatives the two were quiet people, and did not belong to any organization, perhaps "marked by the terrible pressure that is exerted on Palestinians and the incitement they suffer".

The international community has unanimously condemned the bloody attack. The most balanced voice is that of the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon who condemned the attack, adding: "The steadily worsening situation on the ground only reinforces the imperative for leaders on both sides to make the difficult decisions that will promote stability and ensure long-term security for both Israelis and Palestinians".

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal, has condemned the violence in the synagogue, as well as "the casue that lead to this violence." He asked everyone to continue to seek peace and a just political solution getting to the deep roots of the conflict.

The Christian religious leaders in Jerusalem planto visit to the synagogue in Har Nof later today, as a sign of solidarity with the victims and their families.

 

• ISRAEL-PALESTINE
• terrorism
• peace
• jerusalem
• temple
• mount