Israel, Jewish leaders condemn attacks on New Zealand Muslims

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined world leaders in condemning Friday’s attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand that killed at least 49 people.

WASHINGTON DC (Kurdistan 24) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined world leaders in condemning Friday’s attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand that killed at least 49 people.

“Israel mourns the wanton murder of innocent worshippers in Christchurch and condemns the brazen act of terror in New Zealand, Netanyahu tweeted on Friday. 

Similarly, an Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesman tweeted, “Our thoughts are with the families of the victims of the terrible shooting against mosques in #Christchurch." 

“We should never let hatred, violence and terror win.”

Many Jewish organizations joined in condemning the mosque attacks.

“Our hearts go out to the families of the victims of today's unspeakable crime of mass murder,” the American Jewish Committee stated. “We say as loudly as we can: We stand against hate and xenophobia. We stand against racism. We stand against terrorism. We stand for mutual understanding.”

The Anti-Defamation League issued a similar statement, “We are devastated by the loss of life in Christchurch and mourn this tragedy with Muslims around the world.”

“No one should be targeted for their faith or their immigrant status,” it added. “We stand in solidarity with Muslims around the world and unequivocally condemn Islamophobia.”

The Zionist Organization of America “condemned with all our hearts the horrific murder of 49 innocent Muslims while at prayer.”

In Britain, the Chief Rabbi tweeted, “There can be few acts of greater evil than the massacre of peaceful people at prayer.”

“The attacks in New Zealand were terrorism of the most despicable kind”

France’s Jewish leadership denounced the shootings as “murderous and barbaric fanaticism.”

The New Zealand Jewish Council mourned that it lacks the “words to describe how sickened and devastated we are by the coordinated attacks on Christchurch mosques today.”

The day before the shooting, the gunman, Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, posted a 74-page manifesto, “The Great Replacement,” an often incoherent rant, focused on “white genocide,” which, he claimed, was coming from Muslim immigration to Western countries.

Tarrant’s complaint, as he wrote, is not with Muslims “living in their homelands,” but with the “invaders”—his word for those emigrating to the West.

Moreover, he has the same attitude toward Jews. The manifesto includes a series of questions and answers, as if Tarrant were interviewing himself.

He asks, “Were/are you an anti-semite?,” and he answers, “No. A jew living in israel is no enemy of mine, so long as they do not seek to subvert or harm my people.”

Thus, according to Tarrant, Jews living in Israel (i.e. their homeland) are okay—as long as they do not hurt “my people,” but not, apparently, those living in the west.

That statement, has, so far, received little notice, and it is unclear if the Jewish organizations are yet aware of it. But is not uncommon for white supremacists to oppose both Jews and Muslims (as well as blacks and other minorities), and many synagogues across New Zealand canceled Saturday services, concerned about their own security.

On August 11 and 12, 2017, “Unite the Right,” an agglomeration of white supremacist groups, gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia, home of the University of Virginia.

On Friday evening, they marched through the university campus in a torchlight parade, reminiscent of the Hitler Youth of Nazi Germany. They chanted, “Blood and soil!,” a Nazi-era slogan, along with, “You will not replace us!” “Jews will not replace us!,” The Washington Post reported (the title of Tarrant’s screed reflects the white supremacist obsession with “replacement.”)

On Saturday, the next day, as the protests grew violent, a 20-year-old, self-declared neo-Nazi, James Fields, deliberately slammed his car into a crowd of protestors, killing a young woman. 

Three months ago, Fields stood trial. Found guilty of the murder, as well as the malicious wounding of eight more individuals, Fields will spend the rest of his life in prison.