July 6, 2014

The International Rabbinic Fellowship expresses its shock and revulsion at the brutal murder of Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir, an innocent 16 year old Palestinian teen, in what increasingly appears to be an attack undertaken by a number of extremist Jews in reprisal for the brutal murders of Eyal Yifrach, Naftali Frankel, and Gilad Shaar by Hamas extremists.

We join with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the wide range of political and rabbinic leaders in Israel who have expressed their profound condemnation of this revenge killing as an "abominable act". This despicable murder is a violation of cardinal principles of Jewish law and basic human morality and decency. We extend our sincere condolences to the parents and family of Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir. 

We call upon all responsible leaders in the Jewish and Arab communities in Israel to work to calm the situation and not inflame tensions by their rhetoric and actions. No one should take the law into his or her own hands and rioting and incitement have no place in a civil society.