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| Worshipers return to synagogue; Israel begins razing homes | Worshipers return to synagogue; Israel begins razing homes |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| JERUSALEM — Israelis joined in prayerful solidarity and dealt out harsh punishment Wednesday as worshipers returned to a Jerusalem synagogue where five people died in a Palestinian attack and security forces demolished the home of an assailant from earlier bloodshed. | JERUSALEM — Israelis joined in prayerful solidarity and dealt out harsh punishment Wednesday as worshipers returned to a Jerusalem synagogue where five people died in a Palestinian attack and security forces demolished the home of an assailant from earlier bloodshed. |
| The twin scenes — one in an enclave of Orthodox Judiasm and the other in mostly Arab East Jerusalem — underscored the widening cycle of violence gripping Jerusalem and the fears and anger that could harden positions on both sides. | The twin scenes — one in an enclave of Orthodox Judiasm and the other in mostly Arab East Jerusalem — underscored the widening cycle of violence gripping Jerusalem and the fears and anger that could harden positions on both sides. |
| For weeks, Jerusalem has been at a center of clashes, protests and deadly attacks that began over one of the city’s major flash points: a contested religious site considered holy by both Jews and Muslims. | For weeks, Jerusalem has been at a center of clashes, protests and deadly attacks that began over one of the city’s major flash points: a contested religious site considered holy by both Jews and Muslims. |
| Tensions reached new and volatile levels Tuesday after the worst violence in Jerusalem in years when two Palestinian cousins — armed with meat cleavers, knives and a handgun — stormed a synagogue and left a death toll that included three Israeli-American rabbi, a British-Israeli rabbi and an Israeli policeman. | Tensions reached new and volatile levels Tuesday after the worst violence in Jerusalem in years when two Palestinian cousins — armed with meat cleavers, knives and a handgun — stormed a synagogue and left a death toll that included three Israeli-American rabbi, a British-Israeli rabbi and an Israeli policeman. |
| The attackers were killed by police and Israeli authorities moved quickly to broaden the response. | The attackers were killed by police and Israeli authorities moved quickly to broaden the response. |
| Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu said the homes of those linked to recent “terrorist” attacks would be razed. Another senior government official urged authorities to go further and launch a full-scale military operation in East Jerusalem. | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu said the homes of those linked to recent “terrorist” attacks would be razed. Another senior government official urged authorities to go further and launch a full-scale military operation in East Jerusalem. |
| Security forces made good on Netanyahu’s policies early Wednesday. | |
| Squads of police and demolition experts descended on the fourth-story apartment of a Palestinian man involved in the October attack on Jerusalem’s light rail system that killed a 3-month-old baby girl and a 22-year-old woman. The attacker, Abdel Rahman al-Shaludi, was shot dead by police at the scene. | |
| Israeli police hustled out members of the extended Shaludi family. They watched security forces topple walls, smash windows and doors, and even tear up the tile floors — essentially gutting the home. | |
| “Netanyahu wanted all this. He is happy now,” said one of Shaludi’s uncles, Amer al-Shaludi, who lives on the first floor. “But this will stop nothing. The cycles of violence will go on and on.” | |
| Israeli forces entered the apartments of other family members in the building. Another uncle flipped through images on his smartphone showing beds overturned and drawers opened. | |
| The home-razing tactic was common a decade ago, but Israel has rarely used it in recent years. | The home-razing tactic was common a decade ago, but Israel has rarely used it in recent years. |
| “How many houses have the Israelis knocked down? Has this prevented a single thing?” said a Muslim cleric, Sheik Mussa Odey, who watched from across the street. | |
| All it does, the imam said, “is make people more angry.” | |
| Jewish worshipers, meanwhile, prayed at the synagogue in the west Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Nof. A day earlier, its floor was covered by blood-splattered books and prayer shawls. One photo showed the arm of a rabbis, wrapped in scripture-laden tefillin, lying in pools of blood. | Jewish worshipers, meanwhile, prayed at the synagogue in the west Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Nof. A day earlier, its floor was covered by blood-splattered books and prayer shawls. One photo showed the arm of a rabbis, wrapped in scripture-laden tefillin, lying in pools of blood. |
| The gathering also sought to reach across religious lines to include members of minority communities including Christians, Druze and even a Muslim envoy. | |
| “It was my duty to come here and show solidarity with the families of those killed and with the community,” said Mohammed Kiwan, an imam and chairman of the Council of Muslim Leaders in Israel. | |
| He kept his calm as Jewish students accused him — and all Muslims -- of inciting violence to kill Jews. | He kept his calm as Jewish students accused him — and all Muslims -- of inciting violence to kill Jews. |
| “We condemn all acts of violence,” he responded. “This is a house of worship and it is irrelevant if it was a Muslim or a Jew that was killed here.” | “We condemn all acts of violence,” he responded. “This is a house of worship and it is irrelevant if it was a Muslim or a Jew that was killed here.” |
| Palestinians still refer the Har Nof neighborhood as Deir Yassin, the name of the Arab village they claim was stormed by Israeli paramilitary forces in 1948 in a deadly raid shortly before Israeli statehood. Israeli denies the Palestinians accounts. | Palestinians still refer the Har Nof neighborhood as Deir Yassin, the name of the Arab village they claim was stormed by Israeli paramilitary forces in 1948 in a deadly raid shortly before Israeli statehood. Israeli denies the Palestinians accounts. |
| “All of us are scared that there will be a religious war, that extremists from both sides will start fighting each other,” said Oded Wiener, from the Council of Religious Institutions in the Holy Land, which organized the event at the synagogue. | “All of us are scared that there will be a religious war, that extremists from both sides will start fighting each other,” said Oded Wiener, from the Council of Religious Institutions in the Holy Land, which organized the event at the synagogue. |
| “It is our role, as religious leaders, to be the compass and conscience of every person of faith and to highlight all injustices,” he added. | “It is our role, as religious leaders, to be the compass and conscience of every person of faith and to highlight all injustices,” he added. |
| At the Vatican, Pope Francis condemned the synagogue slayings and urged both sides to end the “spiral of hatred and violence and take courageous decisions for reconciliation and peace.” | At the Vatican, Pope Francis condemned the synagogue slayings and urged both sides to end the “spiral of hatred and violence and take courageous decisions for reconciliation and peace.” |
| “To build peace is difficult,” Francis said at his weekly general audience, “but to live without peace is a torment.” | “To build peace is difficult,” Francis said at his weekly general audience, “but to live without peace is a torment.” |
| But Israel appeared to be moving toward more aggressive actions, which were likely to provoke Palestinian outrage and possible backlash. | But Israel appeared to be moving toward more aggressive actions, which were likely to provoke Palestinian outrage and possible backlash. |
| Israel’s Public Security Minister, Yitzhak Aharonovitch, announced he would “ease restrictions” on Israelis carrying guns for self-defense. He indicated the rule change could affect anyone with a gun licence — private security guards and off-duty army officers, for example — allowing them to be armed even when off duty. | Israel’s Public Security Minister, Yitzhak Aharonovitch, announced he would “ease restrictions” on Israelis carrying guns for self-defense. He indicated the rule change could affect anyone with a gun licence — private security guards and off-duty army officers, for example — allowing them to be armed even when off duty. |
| Israel’s Economy Minister Naftali Bennett also called on the government to launch a military operation “go to the source” of terror in the holy city. | Israel’s Economy Minister Naftali Bennett also called on the government to launch a military operation “go to the source” of terror in the holy city. |
| “We need to move from defence to attack, like we did in Operation Defensive shield,” Bennett told Israel’s Army Radio, citing the name for the military campaign waged during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, more than a decade ago. | “We need to move from defence to attack, like we did in Operation Defensive shield,” Bennett told Israel’s Army Radio, citing the name for the military campaign waged during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, more than a decade ago. |
| “Go in with Border Police forces, make arrests, create intelligence channels, stay there on a permanent basis, not just when there’s a terror attack,” he added. | “Go in with Border Police forces, make arrests, create intelligence channels, stay there on a permanent basis, not just when there’s a terror attack,” he added. |
| In a nationally televised address hours after Tuesday’s attack, Netanyhu blamed Palestinian leaders for inciting violence — making no specific distinctions between the anti-Israeli faction Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the potential peace talk partners in the West Bank led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. | In a nationally televised address hours after Tuesday’s attack, Netanyhu blamed Palestinian leaders for inciting violence — making no specific distinctions between the anti-Israeli faction Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the potential peace talk partners in the West Bank led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. |
| Hamas praised the synagogue attack, while Abbas denounced it as against “all religious principles.” | Hamas praised the synagogue attack, while Abbas denounced it as against “all religious principles.” |
| In a sign of possible political rifts, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted Yoram Cohen, the chief of the Israeli domestic security agency Shin Bet, as saying Abbas has not been inciting terror attacks. | In a sign of possible political rifts, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted Yoram Cohen, the chief of the Israeli domestic security agency Shin Bet, as saying Abbas has not been inciting terror attacks. |
| “This is a battle over Jerusalem,’’ Netanyahu said in a nationally televised address, insisting that Israelis would never give up their claims to the contested city. Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which is annexed and occupied by Israel, to be the capital of any future Palestinian state. | “This is a battle over Jerusalem,’’ Netanyahu said in a nationally televised address, insisting that Israelis would never give up their claims to the contested city. Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which is annexed and occupied by Israel, to be the capital of any future Palestinian state. |
| The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, another militant organization, asserted responsibility for the synagogue attack. But police said they were still investigating the claim, and relatives of the Palestinian assailants said the cousins were not members of any Palestinian faction. | The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, another militant organization, asserted responsibility for the synagogue attack. But police said they were still investigating the claim, and relatives of the Palestinian assailants said the cousins were not members of any Palestinian faction. |
| Among the dead was Mosheh Twersky, dean of an English-speaking religious school in Jerusalem and a member of one of the most respected families in Orthodox Jewish scholarship. | Among the dead was Mosheh Twersky, dean of an English-speaking religious school in Jerusalem and a member of one of the most respected families in Orthodox Jewish scholarship. |
| The State Department identified the other slain Americans as Aryeh Kupinsky and Cary William Levine (who was also known as Kalman Levine). Israeli authorities identified the British victim as Avraham Goldberg. All had dual Israeli citizenship. | The State Department identified the other slain Americans as Aryeh Kupinsky and Cary William Levine (who was also known as Kalman Levine). Israeli authorities identified the British victim as Avraham Goldberg. All had dual Israeli citizenship. |
| Mirit Sandori, a Har Nof resident, said she was shocked but not surprised. | |
| “We have no security in this neighborhood, and the situation has been tense in Jerusalem for a long time,” said Sandori, who said she works with Palestinians from East Jerusalem in a supermarket. “Lately, they have been looking at us with cold eyes, eyes of hate.” | |
| Many Palestinians were deeply angered by Israel’s decision last month to suspend access to the Al-Aqsa mosque in an area known as the Temple Mount to Jews and the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims, a holy site to both religions. | Many Palestinians were deeply angered by Israel’s decision last month to suspend access to the Al-Aqsa mosque in an area known as the Temple Mount to Jews and the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims, a holy site to both religions. |
| The Israeli restrictions — which are now lifted — came after a Palestinian gunman tried to kill an Israeli American activist who wants Jews to be allowed to pray at the site. Jews and Christians are normally allowed to visit the area as tourists. But they are banned from praying, singing or making religious displays. | The Israeli restrictions — which are now lifted — came after a Palestinian gunman tried to kill an Israeli American activist who wants Jews to be allowed to pray at the site. Jews and Christians are normally allowed to visit the area as tourists. But they are banned from praying, singing or making religious displays. |
| Sufian Taha in Jerusalem, Brian Murphy in Washington and Daniela Deane in London contributed to this report. | Sufian Taha in Jerusalem, Brian Murphy in Washington and Daniela Deane in London contributed to this report. |