Response to recent violence in Jerusalem

Statement issued 19/11/2014
The AJDS condemns the attacks that are occurring in Jerusalem. This violence is heartbreaking and must end immediately.
The AJDS calls for leading figures in the current Israeli government and their settler allies to halt their recent actions, which actively work against justice and instead incite violence towards Palestinians. We condemn the dangerous strategy of visits to the Dome of the Rock/Temple Mount, and note that Yoram Cohen, the head of Shin Bet, has drawn a clear connection between the attack on Jews at synagogue yesterday and the murder of Muhammed Abu-Khdeir and the visits to the Haram al-Sharif. This attack comes after the most recent escalation of violence by the Israeli authorities against Palestinians: the increased collective punishment (including house demolitions and restrictions on mobility), the proposal to introduce a 20 year sentence for stone throwing, and the burning last week of a mosque in Al Mughayir in the West Bank. Hamas should also be condemned for supporting the latest act of violence against Israelis at prayer.
Only genuine negotiations which bring a quick end to the Occupation and full political and social equality and justice for all Palestinians will resolve this explosive situation in a city that belongs to humanity, not Jews alone.