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| Palestinian attackers storm Jerusalem synagogue, killing 3 Americans, 1 Briton | Palestinian attackers storm Jerusalem synagogue, killing 3 Americans, 1 Briton |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| JERUSALEM — Two Palestinians armed with knives, axes and a gun stormed a synagogue in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood on Tuesday, killing three Americans — including a prominent rabbi — and a British worshiper in one of the deadliest attacks in years in Jerusalem. | |
| The attackers — identified by Palestinian media as residents of mostly Arab East Jerusalem — were then killed by police in an aftermath that vividly showed the razor-edge tensions in Jerusalem after weeks of bloodshed and clashes. | |
| Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Palestinian leaders of inciting violence and promised to “respond harshly.” In the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip, calls over loudspeakers praised the attackers. | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Palestinian leaders of inciting violence and promised to “respond harshly.” In the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip, calls over loudspeakers praised the attackers. |
| In East Jerusalem, crowds hurled stones at Israeli police fanning out around the neighborhood where the attackers lived. | |
| The Associated Press, citing Israeli police, said those killed included one Briton and three Americans — among them Rabbi Moshe Twersky, who taught at an English-speaking religious school in Jerusalem and was a member of one of the most respected families in Orthodox scholarship. | The Associated Press, citing Israeli police, said those killed included one Briton and three Americans — among them Rabbi Moshe Twersky, who taught at an English-speaking religious school in Jerusalem and was a member of one of the most respected families in Orthodox scholarship. |
| The names of the others killed were not immediately made public through official channels, but media reports in Israel identified them all as rabbis. The synagogue is located in a neighborhood, Har Nof, popular with Americans undertaking studies in Judaism. | The names of the others killed were not immediately made public through official channels, but media reports in Israel identified them all as rabbis. The synagogue is located in a neighborhood, Har Nof, popular with Americans undertaking studies in Judaism. |
| The AP reported that all four also had Israel citizenship. | The AP reported that all four also had Israel citizenship. |
| Twersky’s grandfather, Joseph Soloveitchik, was a renowned Boston rabbi, and his father, Rabbi Yitzhak (Isadore) Twersky, was longtime director of The Center for Jewish Studies at Harvard. | |
| Twersky’s brother, Mayer Twersky, one of the heads of Yeshiva University in New York, the flagship American school for Jewish Orthodox studies. | |
| The early morning attack harkened back to the years of the Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, and appeared certain to inflame a city already buffeted by tensions between Jews and Palestinians over a contested religious site. | The early morning attack harkened back to the years of the Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, and appeared certain to inflame a city already buffeted by tensions between Jews and Palestinians over a contested religious site. |
| The next steps by Israel were not immediately clear. But any crackdowns in East Jerusalem could touch off more street battles and showdowns centered on the Temple Mount, a site considered holy by both Jews and Muslims and the scene of recent clashes. | The next steps by Israel were not immediately clear. But any crackdowns in East Jerusalem could touch off more street battles and showdowns centered on the Temple Mount, a site considered holy by both Jews and Muslims and the scene of recent clashes. |
| The synagogue, however, is far from the normal flash points in Jerusalem and reflected the possible widening scope of the violence. | The synagogue, however, is far from the normal flash points in Jerusalem and reflected the possible widening scope of the violence. |
| Hamas, the militant Palestinian Islamist group that fought a war against Israel this past summer in the Gaza Strip, praised the attack but stopped short of claiming responsibility for the bloodshed — the worst at a religious site in Israel since eight people were killed in 2008 when Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a Jerusalem yeshiva, or Jewish religious school. | Hamas, the militant Palestinian Islamist group that fought a war against Israel this past summer in the Gaza Strip, praised the attack but stopped short of claiming responsibility for the bloodshed — the worst at a religious site in Israel since eight people were killed in 2008 when Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a Jerusalem yeshiva, or Jewish religious school. |
| “What I saw was horrifying,” said Avi Nefoussi, a paramedic who was among the first to enter the synagogue minutes after the two attackers were shot dead by police. “I saw several bodies lying on the floor — some were people that I knew — and two people badly injured from gunshots.” | “What I saw was horrifying,” said Avi Nefoussi, a paramedic who was among the first to enter the synagogue minutes after the two attackers were shot dead by police. “I saw several bodies lying on the floor — some were people that I knew — and two people badly injured from gunshots.” |
| Video released by the Israeli government showed prayer books and shawls splattered with blood. | |
| Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said six people were also wounded in the attack, including two police officers. He said police were searching the area for other suspects. Police secured the area around the synagogue. | Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said six people were also wounded in the attack, including two police officers. He said police were searching the area for other suspects. Police secured the area around the synagogue. |
| Palestinian media reported that the two attackers were Udai and Ghassan Abu Jamal, cousins from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabl Mukabr. Israeli media said that one of the two men worked in a supermarket near the synagogue. | Palestinian media reported that the two attackers were Udai and Ghassan Abu Jamal, cousins from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabl Mukabr. Israeli media said that one of the two men worked in a supermarket near the synagogue. |
| In London, Secretary of State John F. Kerry condemned the attacks and demanded that the Palestinian leadership take immediate steps to end incitement to violence among Palestinians. | |
| “Innocent people who had come to worship died in the sanctuary of a synagogue,” Kerry said shortly after the attack, his voice quavering. “They were hatcheted, hacked and murdered in that holy place in an act of pure terror and senseless brutality and murder,” he said after speaking by phone with Netanyahu. | “Innocent people who had come to worship died in the sanctuary of a synagogue,” Kerry said shortly after the attack, his voice quavering. “They were hatcheted, hacked and murdered in that holy place in an act of pure terror and senseless brutality and murder,” he said after speaking by phone with Netanyahu. |
| “I call on Palestinians at every single level of leadership to condemn this in the most powerful terms. This violence has no place anywhere, particularly after the discussion that we just had the other day in Amman.” | “I call on Palestinians at every single level of leadership to condemn this in the most powerful terms. This violence has no place anywhere, particularly after the discussion that we just had the other day in Amman.” |
| Netanyahu, Kerry and Jordan’s King Abdullah II met last week in Jordan in a bid to ease tensions and restore calm after months of violent confrontations between the two sides over access to a sacred shrine holy to both Jews and Muslims. | Netanyahu, Kerry and Jordan’s King Abdullah II met last week in Jordan in a bid to ease tensions and restore calm after months of violent confrontations between the two sides over access to a sacred shrine holy to both Jews and Muslims. |
| Abbas also condemned the attack. “The presidency condemns the attack on Jewish worshipers in their place of prayer and condemns the killing of civilians no matter who is doing it,” his office said in a statement given to the Reuters news agency. | Abbas also condemned the attack. “The presidency condemns the attack on Jewish worshipers in their place of prayer and condemns the killing of civilians no matter who is doing it,” his office said in a statement given to the Reuters news agency. |
| British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond also denounced the violence. | |
| “What happened in the synagogue is a red line for the Israeli government, and maybe this could change all events,” said Shaul Bartal, a retired Israeli major who served in various military positions in the West Bank. | “What happened in the synagogue is a red line for the Israeli government, and maybe this could change all events,” said Shaul Bartal, a retired Israeli major who served in various military positions in the West Bank. |
| He said that many Arab residents of East Jerusalem currently work in Jewish neighborhoods in the city. However, in light of this attack and others over the past few weeks, Israel might be forced to make changes in their status. | He said that many Arab residents of East Jerusalem currently work in Jewish neighborhoods in the city. However, in light of this attack and others over the past few weeks, Israel might be forced to make changes in their status. |
| The site of the synagogue, Har Nof, is a quiet Orthodox neighborhood on the western side of Jerusalem, miles away from Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem. Palestinians refer to the area as Deir Yassin, a former Palestinian village from before the 1948 creation of the state of Israel. | |
| At a Vatican conference, Lord Sacks, Britain’s former chief rabbi, offered a prayer for the victims of the synagogue attack. | At a Vatican conference, Lord Sacks, Britain’s former chief rabbi, offered a prayer for the victims of the synagogue attack. |
| “To attack and murder while someone is immersed in silent prayer – the horror! We pray for the victims and the wounded. We condemn the terrorists and any of those who support them. We are one with our brothers and sisters in the land of Israel,” Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld, an Orthodox rabbi in Washington who studied under another member of Twersky’s family, posted early Tuesday on his Facebook page. | “To attack and murder while someone is immersed in silent prayer – the horror! We pray for the victims and the wounded. We condemn the terrorists and any of those who support them. We are one with our brothers and sisters in the land of Israel,” Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld, an Orthodox rabbi in Washington who studied under another member of Twersky’s family, posted early Tuesday on his Facebook page. |
| Religious sites have been caught before in the Arab-Israel conflict. | Religious sites have been caught before in the Arab-Israel conflict. |
| In March 2002, at the height of the second intifada, a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up at a Passover meal at a hotel in Netanya, Israel. Thirty civilians were killed. | In March 2002, at the height of the second intifada, a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up at a Passover meal at a hotel in Netanya, Israel. Thirty civilians were killed. |
| In February 1994, an American-born Israeli, Baruch Goldstein, opened fire on unarmed Palestinian Muslims praying inside the Ibrahimi Mosque at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Goldstein, who was a member of the far-right Israeli Kach movement, killed 29 worshipers and wounded more than 100. He was overpowered and beaten to death by survivors at the mosque. | In February 1994, an American-born Israeli, Baruch Goldstein, opened fire on unarmed Palestinian Muslims praying inside the Ibrahimi Mosque at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Goldstein, who was a member of the far-right Israeli Kach movement, killed 29 worshipers and wounded more than 100. He was overpowered and beaten to death by survivors at the mosque. |
| Deane reported from London and Murphy reported from Washington. Michelle Boorstein in Washington contributed to this report. | Deane reported from London and Murphy reported from Washington. Michelle Boorstein in Washington contributed to this report. |