Israel Condemns London Attack, Lawmakers Compare With Palestinian Terror

london bridge attack
Carl Court/Getty
Deborah Brand

TEL AVIV – Israel’s Foreign Ministry and members of Knesset on Sunday condemned the “horrific” London terror attacks, with Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan remarking that now there was a “greater understanding” in Britain of Israel’s long-suffering history of Palestinian terrorism.

Seven people were killed and 48 injured when a van drove into pedestrians on London Bridge before attackers armed with large knives began stabbing people in the nearby Borough Market.

“Israel condemns last night’s horrific #LondonBridgeAttack. We stand with the British people at this time,” the foreign ministry tweeted alongside an image of the Israeli flag fused with the Union Jack.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan told Army Radio that the attacks will heighten awareness among the British public about Palestinian terror, of which the latest wave has also involved dozens of vehicular and stabbing attacks.

“There is much greater understanding today that the terror Israel has experienced … is not much different from the motives of extremist Islam that causes these attacks [in London],” he said.

Erdan also turned to Twitter to call for a “global alliance” to combat terror.

“Israel stands in solidarity with the UK and London in the fight against terror. It’s time for a new global alliance against terror,” he tweeted. “This was an attack not just against the UK but against Western values and democracy. Our prayers are with the victims.”

Israel’s Ambassador the the UK Mark Regev vowed that terror would not triumph.

“Appalled at last night’s terrorist attack. Israel stands in solidarity with London: terror & hatred will never defeat us,” he tweeted.

MK Bezalel Smotrich, from the right-wing Jewish Home party, tweeted ironically: “Good morning to all the terror experts and analysts here in Israel. It is interesting what desperation motivates the terrorists in London. Is there an English occupation that we don’t know about?”

MK Yehudah Glick also drew parallels with Palestinian terror attacks.

“Apparently the significant contribution by the Palestinians to the world is new methods of terror,” he wrote in Hebrew on Twitter. “These methods are now being used around the world.”

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