Jewish Public Affairs Arm Condemns Terror Attacks, Praises Emergency Workers, Urges Donations

NEW YORK, Sept. 12 — Leonard A. Cole, chair of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the national public affairs arm of the organized Jewish community, released the following statement today to express outrage at the act of war perpetrated by terrorists against innocent Americans in New York City and Washington, DC.

“The ghastly terror attack on America on the morning of September 11^th will forever be remembered as an assault on civilized society everywhere. Thousands of innocent Americans were killed and injured in attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in the hijacked airplane that crashed in Pennsylvania. The Jewish Council for Public Affairs joins with others of good will in condemning the killer-terrorists and their sponsors. Whoever supported these heinous crimes-- whether governments, gangs, or individual thugs--must be called to account for their evil deeds.  

With tears and prayer we mourn the loss of thousands whose only offense was to begin their peaceful daily routines in a land of freedom and democracy. To the grieving families, to the injured and their loved ones, we extend our deepest sympathy. To the courageous police, fire, and medical personnel for their selfless rescue efforts we express profound gratitude. Many of these rescuers became victims themselves as they fulfilled a preeminent value taught by our Jewish tradition--to save lives. We are indebted to them beyond words.

We urge our members and member agencies to contribute to relief efforts through donations of blood and through financial contributions. We stand behind President Bush in his determination to root out those responsible for the heinous attacks, and we commend our federal and local officials who are pledged to find and punish them. We commend our allies who have vowed to join us in isolating and punishing nations that condone terrorism whether by their own direction or by harboring terrorist organizations.

We caution our fellow citizens not to accuse or tolerate harassment of entire religious or ethnic groups because of the action of limited numbers of extremists. The terrorists may have managed to hijack some airplanes, but they will never be able to hijack the spirit of our great country.

JCPA, the public affairs arm of the organized Jewish community, serves as the national coordinating and advisory body for the 13 national and 123 local agencies comprising the field of Jewish community relations.

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