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15 October 2015
THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER WASHINGTON AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL OF GREATER WASHINGTON ARE OUTRAGED BY THE DEADLY SHOOTING ATTACKS IN ISRAEL AND IN OREGON
Washington, DC – The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) are outraged by the two shootings today – an attack on an Israeli vehicle which killed an Israeli couple in the West Bank, and a violent rampage on the campus of Umpqua Community college in Oregon killing 13 and wounding at least 20. The shooting in Oregon marks the 45th school shooting to occur in the U.S. in 2015, according to Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
The Israel attack happened Thursday night (Israel time) in the northern West Bank. Several shots were fired at the Israeli couple’s car from a passing vehicle; the couple’s four children in the vehicle were not hit by the gunfire. The attackers’ car then sped toward a nearby Palestinian village. There is no possible justification for the killing of innocent civilians. Every Israeli and Palestinian deserves to live in peace and security. We stand in solidarity with the state of Israel, support efforts of the Israeli government to maintain law and order, and hope that the Palestinian Authority will unequivocally condemn this attack.
We are deeply saddened by both tragedies. We mourn for those who were killed, pray for the recovery of the injured, and for the solace of their loved ones and their community. Violence has no place in the peaceful foundations and institutions of our society, and we share the shock of everyone who has been touched by this violence. The Jewish Federation and the JCRC offer our condolences to the families of the deceased.