President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa condemns in the strongest possible terms the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in the United States.
He says the attack, which targeted the Jewish community, shows extreme levels of intolerance.
The shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, left 11 people dead and scores wounded.
President Ramaphosa has also joined many other leaders in conveying condolences to families who have lost their loved ones, and wished all the injured a speedy recovery.
In September, Ramaphosa spoke at the Gardens synagogue in Cape Town. He called on South Africans to respond to anti-Semitism with the same resolve as we do to any act or statement that demeans any faith, race, gender or ethnic group.
As you know, earlier today there was a horrific shooting targeting and killing Jewish Americans at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The shooter is in custody, and federal authorities have been dispatched to support state and local police… pic.twitter.com/WqO7GfPyMT
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2018
The Anti-Defamation League – a Jewish non-governmental organisation that fights anti-Semitism – says they believe the Saturday’s gun attack on a synagogue, is the deadliest attack on the US Jewish community in the country’s history.
46-year-old Robert Bowers opened fire on dozens of congregants who had gathered at the synagogue. He reportedly yelled ‘All Jews must die’ as he burst into the building. Rabbi Mark Goodman is from a synagogue near the one that was attacked.
“I think the entire Pittsburgh Jewish community is mourning. We are devastated, crushed, brought low and really struggling through this. In addition the entire American community is struggling with this issue of these mass shootings and the violence in the country week after week without any solution of ideas or change on the horizon.”
