RRC / Jewish Reconstructionist Communities and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association condemn the terrorist attack that took place in the West Bank settlement of Har Adar. We mourn the murder of border police officer Solomon Gavriyah, 20, and civilian security guards Youssef Ottman, 25, and Or Arish, also 25, and we hope for a full recovery for an additional security guard who was seriously wounded in the attack. We are grateful that the swift action of those who gave their lives prevented what could have been a much larger number of casualties. We urge Palestinian leaders to refrain from praising the perpetrator of this violence, and we urge Israeli leaders to refrain from acts of collective punishment in response. There is a profound need for a renewed, vigorous and determined peace negotiation process. As many of our sages have taught, every act of violent cruelty, regardless of who perpetrates it, only serves to deepen hatred and build fear. May the shofar’s call stir all of us to renew our commitment to support the thousands of people of courage and compassion on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict who struggle to carry on the deeply needed work to build a more just and peaceful future.
