JERUSALEM (JTA) — The United Nations Security Council “strongly condemned” the terror attack on a Jerusalem synagogue that left five dead.
The Security Council UNSC in a statement unanimously approved on Wednesday evening called the incident a “despicable terrorist attack.”
The attack occurred Tuesday at the Bnei Torah Kehilat Yaakov synagogue in the Har Nof neighborhood of western Jerusalem during morning prayer services.
In its statement, the Security Council said that the current tension in Jerusalem has “affected both the Israeli and Palestinian people, and urged all sides to take immediate steps to restore calm.”
It reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is criminal and unjustifiable, “regardless of its motivation,” according to a statement on the U.N. website. The Security Council also reminded both sides that they must “ensure that measures taken to combat terrorism comply with all their obligations under international law” — an apparent warning to Israel on reprisal.
Ban-Ki moon, the U.N.’s secretary-general, also issued a statement.
“Attacks against religious sites in Jerusalem and the West Bank point to an additional dangerous dimension to the conflict which reverberates far beyond the region,” Ban said. “The steadily worsening situation on the ground only reinforces the imperative for leaders on both sides to make the difficult decisions that will promote stability and ensure long-term security for both Israelis and Palestinians.”
