The City of Richmond has declared its support for the local Jewish community, after the weekend’s terrorist attack on Israel.
At least 2,300 people are known to have been killed in both Israel and the Gaza Strip after Hamas – widely regarded in the Western world as a terror group – launched a surprise assault into Israel.
Hamas militants breached a border fence with the Gaza Strip on Saturday and massacred hundreds of Israelis in their homes, on the streets and at an outdoor music festival.
In a swift retaliation, Israeli war jets have been bombarding parts of the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds of civilians on both sides of the divide.
Richmond Rabbi Yechiel Baitelman told the Richmond News on Tuesday that his Jewish congregation was struggling to come to terms with the events on the weekend.
Terrorism cannot be justified: City of Richmond
On Wednesday afternoon, Richmond City Council issued a statement offering its support to people connected to the “terrorist attack” and revealed that it will light up the ‘Together’ statue at the Minoru Centre for Active Living in Israel’s blue and white colours.
“This past weekend saw a large and coordinated terrorist attack on the people of Israel. The images of that attack and its impact on innocent civilians are horrifying and disturbing,” reads the statement.
“The City of Richmond condemns the terrorist attacks in the strongest possible terms and supports Israel’s right to defend itself and protect its citizens in keeping with international law.
“Terrorism cannot be justified and must never be tolerated. Our hearts go out to the people of Israel, our Jewish community, and all those impacted by this conflict and we stand together in calling for a swift end to this terrible and unnecessary violence.”
Got an opinion on this story or any others in Richmond? Email your thoughts for our letters section to [email protected]
