FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 6, 2008

Brit Tzedek Mourns Victims of Jerusalem Yeshiva Shooting

CHICAGO--Steve Masters, President of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, issued the following statement in response to today's terrorist shooting at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem that left 8 students dead and many wounded.

Brit Tzedek mourns with the families of the eight killed and prays for the recovery of the many who were wounded in the attack today in the heart of Jerusalem. We unequivocally condemn this act of terror, and our hearts go out to those who are impacted by this gruesome and senseless act.

While shocking in its scope and depravity, it is not a surprise that this attack was perpetrated the day after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to return to peace talks and on the same day Egyptian officials were trying to mediate a truce between Gaza militants and Israel. It is part and parcel of a longstanding pattern in the conflict's history whereby extremists use horrifying acts of violence to hijack progress towards the negotiated resolution to the conflict, for which the majority of both peoples long.

May this devastating act of violence not be allowed, yet again, to derail the will of two peoples in their quest for true peace and security. And may our outrage over these murders spur us to recommit ourselves to finding together a way to end the violence. Our prayers are with the fallen and their families. May their memories be a blessing.
 
Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, is a national grassroots organization more than 38,000 strong, that educates and mobilizes American Jews in support of a negotiated two-state resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.