Some 700 people gathered here Tuesday at a solemn memorial service for the 21 Jews slain Saturday in an Istanbul synagogue during Sabbath prayers. The non-religious ceremony, which was organized by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, was held at the Spanish-Portuguese Synagogue, Congregation Shearith Israel.
Many of the congregants’ families came to the United States from Turkey and still maintain ties with relatives there. The assemblage included diplomatic officials of the governments of Israel and Turkey as well as local dignitaries.
Israel Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who is in the United States to meet with top U.S. government officials in Washington, indicated in his remarks during the service that Israel would mount reprisals for the attack. However, in a press conference following the service, Rabin appeared to hedge, saying that “Our policy is to look at the war against terrorism as a continuous war and not as a reprisal against specific acts.”
He added at the press conference that “it was necessary to use precautionary means to preclude such acts from being repeated…”
CAN’T IDENTIFY TERRORISTS YET
When asked if Israel was able and ready to identify the perpetrators, Rabin said he could not presently do so. He was also prodded for the reasons that the Turkish government had refused Israel’s request to send high government officials to the funeral service to be held Wednesday in Istanbul for the synagogue victims.
Rabin replied that it was not for him or Israel to respond, but for Turkey, adding that Israel was disappointed by the decision.
Also addressing the convocation was the Turkish Ambassador to the United Nations, Ilter Turkmen, who expressed Turkey’s “grateful appreciation” for this “homage to Turkish citizens.” He emphasized that the Turkish Prime Minister, Turgut Ozal, condemned the attack and “reaffirmed that all Turkish citizens living in Turkey are under the protection of the state, irrespective of their religion, language, race and color.”
“We are proud in Turkey of our historical record of religious tolerance.” He stressed that Turkey has been pressing for international cooperation and hopes “that all countries will join ranks in fighting terrorism.”
Morris Abram, chairman of the Presidents Conference, read a letter from President Reagan which is being delivered to the Turkish Jewish community. Reagan said, “We are resolute in our determination to put an end to such horrors. In your sorrow and suffering, I hope it will be of some comfort to know that the people of the United States stand with you.”
A statement was distributed from John Cardinal O’Connor, who had asked his congregants in Sunday’s mass to pray for the Jews killed in synagogue, referring to it as a heinous act because “it is directed against our Jewish brothers and sisters because they are Jewish and because they claim so justifiably a homeland of their own.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
