UN's Ban Ki Moon condemns J'lem attack

"Any attempt to justify terrorism is counter-productive and morally reprehensible," Ban says in letter.

By MICHAL LANDO, THE JERUSALEM POST, NEW YORK
Ban Ki Moon 224.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
Ban Ki Moon 224.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon headed a chorus of international condemnations of Wednesday's terrorist attack in Jerusalem, sending his condolences to the families of the three people killed. His statement on Thursday followed a letter from the Israeli Mission to the UN, demanding that the Security Council "unequivocally and unconditionally condemn this terrorist attack and call for an end to all terrorism and violence." The letter noted the timing of the attack, which claimed the lives of three Israelis and left dozens wounded, saying it threatened the prospects for "genuine peace, reconciliation, and mutual understanding." The letter also recalled the council's failure to condemn the March 6 attack on the Mercaz Harav yeshiva that killed eight, in spite of the secretary general's personal condemnation. "Surely there can be no excuse or explanation for this terrorist attack, or any terrorist attack for that matter," the letter stated. "Any attempt to justify terrorism - including by hindering its condemnation - is disingenuous, counterproductive, and morally reprehensible." Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas also condemned the bulldozer rampage on Thursday, but he added a standard note of equivocation which has long aggrieved Israelis. "As far as the Jerusalem attack is concerned, we condemn it," Abbas said during a visit to Slovenia. "We strongly condemn all attacks of violence regardless of source and shape. We wish for a peaceful solution based on negotiations and there is no other alternative but negotiations." JTA contributed to this report.