Jerusalem
March 8, 2006

Israel condemns in the strongest possible terms the terror attacks that took place in the holy city of Varanasi. These heinous attacks were carried out with the clear intention of offending religious sensibilities among pilgrims in one of the most sacred sites in India. It is up to all of us in the international community to fight terrorism in any and all forms. Israel’s special sensitivity to holy sites is well known in this regard. We believe that there must be a unanimous call from all religious leaders that emphasizes the universal nature of religious sites, in the hope of preventing similar attacks in the future. 

Our thoughts are with the victims and their families and with the people of India.