Two East Jerusalem Arabs attacked a synagogue in Jerusalem during morning prayers, using meat clevers, knives and a pistol to kill the Rabbi and three worshipers.
The NY Times reports that all four were Rabbis.
(added)
The Washington Post reports:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Palestinian leaders of inciting violence and promised to “respond harshly.” In the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip, calls over loudspeakers praised the attackers.In East Jerusalem, crowds hurled stones at Israeli police fanning out around the neighborhood where the attackers lived.The Associated Press, citing Israeli police, said those killed included one Briton and three Americans — among them Rabbi Moshe Twersky, who taught at an English-speaking religious school in Jerusalem and was a member of one of the most respected families in Orthodox scholarship….Twersky’s grandfather, Joseph Soloveitchik, was a renowned Boston rabbi, and his father, Rabbi Yitzhak (Isadore) Twersky, was longtime director of The Center for Jewish Studies at Harvard.Twersky’s brother, Mayer Twersky, one of the heads of Yeshiva University in New York, the flagship American school for Jewish Orthodox studies.
Here is raw video of the police shooting the perpetrators, and of the victims of the attack:
Hamas and other Palestinians celebrated.
Palestinians on social media are vowing more such attacks:
This is reminiscent of the machete attack in London:
In response, Israel will ease its severe restrictions on carrying guns for self-defense.
The Times of Israel reports:
Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch pledged to ease controls on carrying weapons for self-defense after a gruesome terrorist attack at a Jerusalem synagogue that left four dead TuesdayIt was not clear exactly what new measures would be put in place, but it was reported that the move would apply to anyone licensed to carry a gun, such as private security guards and off-duty army officers.
The Jerusalem Post reports:
A spokesperson for Aharonovitch said that the minister meant that they would examine easing the restrictions with an emphasis on security personnel and ex-IDF officers, but did not say it could not potentially apply to the wider public.Currently to receive a firearm permit you must be over 21, an Israeli resident for more than three years, have passed a mental and physical health exam, background checks by the Public Security Ministry and shooting exams and courses at a licensed gun range. The permit holder is then allowed to order a single firearm with a one-time supply of 50 bullets from a licensed dealer. They must then retake the licensing exam and undergo testing at a gun range every three years. There is also a stipulation requiring that any gun owner prove they have a safe at home to store the firearm.At the scene of the attack on Tuesday, Aharonovitch called on Jewish residents of the city not to seek revenge for the attack and to allow the police to do their job.“We are not in an easy period, [we are in] a period of terror attacks. I cannot promise that there won’t be another terror attack, but I can I promise we are doing everything we can to prevent it. But we cannot be everywhere,” he said.
[Featured Image source: BBC World News Video]
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