By Jonathan Benedek/TPS
Jerusalem (TPS) – Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein expressed his condolences to US Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Paul Ryan over the deadly shooting at a gay bar in Orlando, Florida on Saturday night.
“On behalf of all the members of the Israeli Knesset, I would like to express our condolences and to join in the great sorrow of the tragedy that befell you and the deaths of innocent people from this crime,” said Edelstein to his US counterpart Speaker Ryan.
“Terrorism strikes everywhere and it does not differentiate between Orlando to Tel Aviv,” Edelstein continued. Only a few days earlier, two Arab terrorists murdered 3 Israeli civilians in a shooting in Tel Aviv.
“To my great dismay, the Israeli public is very familiar with the feelings of grief and anger caused by these events, and all we can do is to join hands in the fight against global terrorism,” added Edelstein.
Prime Minister Netanyahu conveyed similar condolences to the US earlier today during his weekly cabinet meeting.
“On behalf of the government and people of Israel, I would like to again express our condolences to the American people and the families at this especially difficult hour,” said Netanyahu. “We stand shoulder to shoulder with the American people.”
Like Edelstein, Netanyahu had also called for unity against global terrorism.
“This terror threatens the entire world and it is necessary above all that the enlightened countries urgently unite to fight against it.”
President Rivlin shared his sympathies with US President Barack Obama on Sunday night, writing that “the Israeli people stand shoulder to shoulder with our American brothers and sisters in the moral and just fight against all forms of violence and hatred. On behalf of all of Israel, I send my condolences to the families of the victims, and prayers for a speedy recovery of the injured.”