Israeli leaders have condemned yesterday’s terror attack in Westminster, and sent messages of solidarity to all of those affected and the people of Britain.
Four people were killed and at least 50 were injured yesterday after an attacker drove a vehicle into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and crashed into the Palace’s perimeter fence, before abandoning the vehicle and attempting to enter the building, fatally stabbing a policeman with a large knife.
The named victims are PC Keith Palmer, aged 48, who was stabbed as he tried to stop the attacker in a courtyard outside the Houses of Parliament, Aysha Frade, a mother of two young children who worked at DLD College near Westminster Bridge, 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from south London, and Kurt Cochran, aged 54, a tourist from the US of Utah.
At least 50 people from 12 different countries were injured, of whom 31 needed hospital treatment. Two remain in a critical condition, and one person has life-threatening injuries.
Last night, Tel Aviv’s City Hall was illuminated with the Union flag in tribute to the victims of the attack and in solidarity with the people of Britain.
In a condolence call to Prime Minister Theresa May, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel stood “shoulder-to-shoulder with citizens of Britain and the entire civilised world against radical Islamic terrorism”.
Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin said: “Our thoughts are with the people of London. Terror is a threat to us all and we must stand united against it”.
Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel, Tzipi Hotovely, made a condolence call to the UK’s Ambassador to Israel, H.E. David Quarrey, and said: “Israel expresses its deep shock at the terror attack in London today and its solidarity with the victims, the people and the government of Great Britain. Terror is terror wherever it occurs and we will fight it relentlessly”.
Israel’s Minister of Public Security, Gilad Erdan, said in a message: “My thoughts are with the people and police officers of London. We stand together in the fight against terror…We unfortunately know what it means to face knife and vehicle terror. Our prayers for the speedy recovery of the wounded”.
The UK Embassy in Israel had its flag at half mast today in solidarity with the people of London.
Today in Parliament, Prime Minister Theresa May underlined in a statement to the House of Commons: “We are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism. We meet here in the oldest of all parliaments because we know that democracy and the values that it entails will always prevail”.
Former Northern Ireland Secretary, Rt. Hon. Theresa Villiers MP, said in International Trade Questions this morning: “Will the Secretary of State in his discussions with the Israeli Government on trade convey to them the sympathy and solidarity of this House with Israel because they have so often suffered the same kind of terrorist attack as we did in this House yesterday?”
International Trade Secretary, Rt. Hon. Liam Fox MP, responded stating: “What we have in common with all terrorist attacks is that such acts of savagery against the innocent can never be justified or excused by creed or by politics”.
