The Rabbinical Council of America Condemns Palestinian Terror Attacks

The Rabbinical Council of America, the largest organization of Orthodox rabbis, strongly condemns the terrorist violence against Israeli citizens and those who perpetrate it, as well as the incendiary rhetoric of Palestinian leaders like PA President Abbas who recently declared the Oslo Accords null and void, who declared that Jews have “no right to defile [the Al Aqsa Mosque] with their dirty feet,” and who “bless[ed] every drop of blood spilled for Jerusalem, which is clean and pure blood, blood spilled for Allah.” The RCA calls on the leadership of the Palestinians to assert responsible leadership by condemning the terror and using responsible language in order to restrain their people’s terrorist activities. The RCA further decries the media that speak of faceless violence as if it were a two-way street, rather than what it is: a culture of hate incited by top leadership.

Rabbi Shalom Baum, president of the RCA, said, “We pray for the recovery of the wounded, mourn with the families of those who were murdered and express our solidarity with Israeli citizens living in fear. We support the efforts of the government of the State of Israel to restore calm and to protect the right of its Jewish citizens to live safely and securely in the State of Israel, our ancient and holy homeland.”

Rabbi Elazar Muskin, first vice president of the RCA, stated, “We call upon the government of the United States to assert its influence to put a stop to this terrorism and to speak out publicly and firmly in condemnation of the murder of US citizen Rabbi Eitam Henkin, killed last week along with his wife, Naama, in front of their four young children.”