Jewish Community’s Public Affairs Arm Condemns Palestinian Terror Attack; Arafat Must Crack Down on Terrorist Infrastructure, Implement Agreements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Martin Raffel
212-684-6950 x206

February 14, 2001

Jewish Community’s Public Affairs Arm Condemns Palestinian Terror Attack; Arafat Must Crack Down on Terrorist Infrastructure, Implement Agreements

NEW YORK, Feb. 14— The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), expressing its outrage and sorrow over the terrorist attack in Israel, issued the following statement:

"We express our profound sorrow at the loss of life and offer heartfelt condolences to the families of those brutally murdered in today's terrorist attack in Israel. Our prayers go out to the injured for a full and speedy
recovery.

It is long past time for Chairman Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority to implement fully their obligations under agreements with Israel and dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in Palestinian-controlled areas that enables such attacks to be launched. Arafat's outrageous suggestion, that today's attack was nothing more than a ‘road accident,’ deserves international condemnation.

This attack comes on the heels of a dangerous escalation by the Palestinians who this week fired anti-tank and mortar shells -- armaments banned from the Palestinian territories under their peace agreements with Israel – into Israeli civilian areas."

JCPA is the public affairs arm of the organized Jewish community that serves as the national coordinating and advisory body for the 13 national and 123 local agencies comprising the field of Jewish community relations. JCPA will convene its annual plenum in Washington, DC February 24^th to 28^th where issues such as this will be discussed with leading Israeli and American officials.

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