Secretary-General, Condemning Deadly Attack on West Jerusalem Synagogue, Says Actions against Religious Sites Add ‘Dangerous Dimension to the Conflict’

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki moon:

The Secretary-General strongly condemns today’s attack on a synagogue in West Jerusalem, which claimed four lives and injured several persons.  He extends his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes the injured a speedy recovery.

Beyond today’s reprehensible incident, clashes between Palestinian youths and Israeli security forces continue on a near daily basis in many parts of East Jerusalem and the West Bank.  The Secretary-General condemns all acts of violence against civilians.  Attacks against religious sites in Jerusalem and the West Bank point to an additional dangerous dimension to the conflict, which reverberates far beyond the region.

The Secretary-General calls for political leadership and courage on both sides to take actions to address the very tense situation in Jerusalem.  All sides must avoid using provocative rhetoric which only encourages extremist elements.  In this regard, the Secretary-General welcomes President [Mahmoud] Abbas’ condemnation of today’s attack.

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.