Foreign officials express horror, condemn Jerusalem terror attack
UN special envoy to the peace process says there are ‘absolutely no excuses’ for vehicular attack that killed 4, ‘must be condemned by all’
Raphael Ahren is a former diplomatic correspondent at The Times of Israel.
Foreign dignitaries on Sunday afternoon rushed to condemn the vehicular terror attack in Jerusalem that killed four soldiers and injured several others.
Mere minutes after news broke of the attack, US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro tweeted, in Hebrew: “I harshly condemn the terror attack in Jerusalem in which IDF troops were killed. Condolences to the families of the deceased and prayers for recovery to those injured.”
The UK’s ambassador to Israel, David Quarrey, also took to Twitter to condemn the attack. There can “be no justification for terrorism anywhere,” he wrote, adding that his thoughts are with the victims and their families.
Australian envoy Dave Sharma condemned “unreservedly [the] vicious Jerusalem terrorist ramming attack targeting IDF soldiers.”
United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov also took to social media to express his outrage over the attack.
“My thoughts go out to victims of shocking #terror attack in #Jerusalem. Must be condemned by all. Absolutely no excuses, no justifications!” he wrote on Twitter.
My thoughts go out to victims of shocking #terror attack in #Jerusalem. Must be condemned by all. Absolutely no excuses, no justifications!
— Nickolay E. MLADENOV (@nmladenov) January 8, 2017
In a subsequent statement, Mladenov said it was “reprehensible that some choose to glorify such acts which undermine the possibility of a peaceful future for both Palestinians and Israelis.” He added: “There is nothing heroic in such actions.” He urged all to “condemn violence and incitement, maintain calm and to do everything they can to avoid further escalation.”
The ambassador of the European Union in Israel, Lars Faaborg-Anderson also strongly condemned the terror attack, “which seems to have taken so many young people’s lives.” Writing on Twitter, he said there was “no justification for such a crime.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, in a statement, condemned the “horrific attack.” He expressed his condolences to the casulaties and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. “In this painful moment, France stands — as always — in solidarity with Israel. It places itself on Israel’s side in its combat against terrorism and for securing its safety.”
The French consulate in Jerusalem wrote on Twitter: “Horror and indignation after truck terror attack on the Haas promenade.” France’s ambassador to Israel, Helene Le Gal, also expressed “horror and total solidarity” after learning of the attack.
The foreign minister of Norway, Borge Brende, likewise condemned the attack, expressing his “most sincere condolences to the families of the killed and my thoughts to the victims and their loved ones.”
My most sincere condolences to the families of the killed and my thoughts to the victims and their loved ones. https://t.co/fZk7WT4vWB
— Børge Brende (@borgebrende) January 8, 2017
The Times of Israel Community.