A national tragedy

France is stunned. The horrific acts that occurred outside the Jewish day school and took the lives of four French Jews, among them three children, has stirred an upheaval of emotion in France. The thoughts of the entire nation are with the victims and families of this tragedy. The entire political establishment, along with representatives of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, has unanimously condemned this crime.

This is the time to come together to remember the victims, but also to trust in the abilities of French authorities to find the attacker. France condemns this despicable act in the harshest terms: It will not go unpunished, and all resources will be brought to bear to catch and bring the killer to justice.

At this stage we can only point to similarities between this crime and two other shooting attacks that occurred last week, resulting in the deaths of three French-Muslim soldiers.

This tragedy struck not only France’s Jewish community, but the country as a whole. Today, every school in France will dedicate a moment of silence to remember the victims.

Our Israeli friends need to know that France is handling this tragedy at the highest possible levels and that extraordinary measures are being taken within the framework of the investigation. Interior Minister Claude Gu ant has ordered that security be bolstered at Jewish and Muslim schools and other religious institutions throughout the country, because any person who wishes to practice his religious beliefs must be able to continue to do so.

We will not give in to terror. Hatred will not be victorious. All of the country’s resources have been enlisted to investigate this crime. France today is a wounded country, one that is uniting around the memories of those who were lost.

However, be absolutely certain that France is as determined as it has ever been to bring those responsible to trial and find justice.