The Zionist Federation of Australia is profoundly saddened and distressed by the violent atrocities that have taken place in and around Jerusalem over the past 72 hours. 

The knife attack against participants in the Gay Pride parade this past Thursday was an unconscionable act of evil. This incident also constitutes a stark reminder that more vigilance is needed as the perpetrator was recently released after a 10-year prison sentence for an identical offence.

The Zionist Federation is confident that the continuing freedom of expression of sexual orientation and protection of such human rights in Israel will not be undermined by this senseless act of violence.

Even more abhorrent – because it involved the death of a child – was the arson attack carried out early Friday morning by suspected Jewish terrorists against the Arab village of Douma in Samaria. Eighteen month-old Ali Saad Doubasa died of burn injuries inflicted when masked cowards threw firebombs through the windows of two homes. The infant’s father, mother and four-year-old brother were also seriously injured and are being treated in the burn unit of the Sheba Medical Centre in Tel Aviv.

Let there be no uncertainty about where the ZFA stands in relation to both these terrible incidents. We join Prime Minister Netanyahu and the entire body politic in Israel in condemnation of these craven acts of criminal violence. We support Israel in showing no tolerance for intolerance.

We expect that the as yet unidentified perpetrators of the arson attack and the individual arrested in connection with the knife attack are brought to justice without delay and express our deepest sympathy and hope for recovery to the victims.