Statement on the April 7 School Bus Bombing in Israel

Where is the outrage?

A yellow bus is internationally recognized as a vehicle used specifically to transport school children. Yet, on April 7, it became the intentional target of terrorists who fired a barrage of missiles and rockets from Gaza into southern Israel, including anti-tank missiles aimed directly at the bus.

The attack critically wounded a 16-year-old boy and injured the driver. This reprehensible assault comes just days before the Jewish community worldwide marks the shloshim — the end of the Jewish 30-day period of mourning for five members of the Fogel family, who were brutally murdered in their sleep by terrorists on March 11. Three of the five murdered members of the Fogel family were young children and included a four-month-old baby.

These two shocking attacks on children are particularly alarming and must be condemned by the international community and all peace-loving people everywhere.

Over the last few weeks, within an environment of incitement, there has been an upsurge in violence against Israeli civilians. Terrorists have already fired over 200 rockets and mortars at Israel this year from Gaza, compared to 238 for all of last year, in addition to the recent bombing in central Jerusalem that killed a 59-year-old British woman.

Once again, Israel has been forced to defend and protect its citizens against unprovoked attacks by terrorists in Hamas-controlled Gaza.

We pray for the full recovery of those injured today. We vehemently condemn this violence — especially against innocent children. This attack is another stark reminder of the importance and the difficulty of continuing to move on the path to a just and lasting peace, providing safety and security to all people in the Middle East.

For more information on community events, including the Shloshim Ceremony for the Fogel family and Yom HaShoah/Israel Solidarity Service, visit TheCommunityPost.org.