Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Denounces Coordinated Acts of Terrorism in France

Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh expresses deep sorrow over the murder of 129 innocent civilians as a result of coordinated acts of terrorism in Paris on Friday.

We mourn for the victims of this vile, unprovoked violence. We express our deepest sympathies for their families and pray for the recovery of those injured.

This attack on Western values, which comes so soon after the shootings at a Parisian kosher supermarket and French magazine Charlie Hebdo, are designed to sow discord and incite fear. Jewish Federation stands in solidarity with France and the rest of the world in the face of these reprehensible intentions.

We are encouraged by the worldwide outpouring of sympathy for France, including by the Israeli government, which is working to combat European terrorism by sharing intelligence with its ally France about the Islamic State (ISIL) and other Islamic extremist organizations. We pledge our support for all governments and communities worldwide who continue to hold strong to the values of democracy and equal rights for all in the face of the ongoing threat of terrorism.

At a time in which Israel and Jews worldwide have expressed support for France, we hope the French government and its people respond by expressing support for Israelis, who have been experiencing a wave of terror attacks on its civilians for the last several months. It is unfortunate that both countries share a firsthand understanding of the devastating consequences of violent Islamic extremism.

May the victims’ memories be a blessing.