Thousands of people attended an interfaith service in Jerusalem yesterday in memory of the victims of September 11 and victims of violence and terror around the world.
“Terror is no longer an Israeli or an American problem but a worldwide phenomenon with which we are learning painfully to come to grips,” Dr. Ron Kronish, the director of the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel, the body which organized the event, told Israel21C.
“We must remember the past, but not allow ourselves to be trapped in it. Even though the situation looks hopeless, we have to do all we can to keep hope alive.”
The service was attended by several ambassadors, including Daniel Kurtzer, the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
Speaking at the event, Kurtzer said that 9-11 had become “a powerful and significant date in the calendar of history. … The challenge for each of us is what we can do to stop terrorism, promote co-existence and find new ways of conflict resolution.”
Russian Ambassador Gennady Tarasov praised Israel for its support following the terror attack in Beslan.
“It is important for us to know that Russia is not standing alone,” he said, emotionally recalling the outpouring of condemnation, condolence messages and offers of help that have come not only from Israeli leaders but from ordinary citizens.
He said the embassy continues to receive letters, faxes and phone calls of support and offers of help – “and people are coming daily and bringing flowers and candles.”
Yesterday, several child survivors of the deadly terrorist attack at the Russian school were invited to spend two weeks at a school in Israel.
The ORT Yad Lvovich high school in the Israeli seaside town of Netanya invited 20 survivors of the attack to visit the school, the World ORT organization said in a news release.
The Russian government said it is considering the invitation.
Of 1,200 students in the Israeli school, 400 are from the former Soviet Union, and there are 35 Russian-speaking faculty.
Robert Singer, World ORT’s director general, said that the Netanya school could offer survivors of the Sept. 1 tragedy, in which more than 300 people were killed, “a safe environment as well as staff experienced in helping young people through terror-related trauma.”
