Israel Urges United Front Against Terror After Deadly Bombings in Egypt, Turkey
by JNS.org
JNS.org — Israel strongly condemned the deadly attacks in Egypt and Turkey over the weekend, calling for a united front against terrorism.
In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the Sunday bombing on an Egyptian Coptic Christian church a “reprehensible terrorist attack,” and expressed outrage over twin bombings that killed 44 people in Istanbul late Saturday.
“We must unite forces and fight terrorism together,” Netanyahu said. “The fight against terrorism must be mutual. It must be mutual in condemnation and in countermeasures.”
The prime minister added that, “Israel shares in the grief of the families of the victims and of the Egyptian people,” following the suicide bombing during a prayer service at Cairo’s Saint Peter and Saint Paul Church, which is located next to Saint Mark’s Cathedral, the seat of Coptic Christian Pope Tawadros II. The attacker has been identified as 22-year-old Mahmoud Mahmoud Shafik Mohamed Mostafa, though no terror organization has claimed responsibility.
Egypt’s Coptic Christians, who make up roughly 10 percent of the country’s population, have been frequently targeted by Islamic extremists.
Netanyahu also called on Turkey to reciprocate and “condemn all terrorist attacks in Israel.”