[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: To be clear: regardless of the statement of
condemnation, the position of Mahmoud Abbas is that Israel must free any
Palestinian who kills civilians - regardless of if the action was condemned.
That's release - not transfer/extradite to PA justice. So if the two
Palestinian murderers from today's attack were still alive, Mahmoud Abbas
would insist that they be released.]

Presidency: We Condemn Killing of Civilians no Matter who is Doing it
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=27072

RAMALLAH, November 18, 2014 – (WAFA - PLO news agency) – The Presidency
condemned the killing of civilians regardless of the party committing the
attacks, stressing the need to end the causes of such attacks and current
tension through ending the Israeli occupation.

It also condemned the killing of Israeli civilians in the West Jerusalem
synagogue attack and called for the immediate cessation of the storming of
Al-Aqsa Mosque Complex by extremist Jewish settler groups as well as an end
to provocations of settlers and incitement of some Israeli ministers.

Two Palestinians armed with a gun and axes attacked a West Jerusalem
synagogue, killing five Israelis and injuring several others. The two
suspects were shot dead by Israeli police.

The attack came a day after a Palestinian bus driver was found hanged to
death inside a bus at a stop for the Israeli transport company Egged in West
Jerusalem.

Israeli media quoted Israeli Police as saying that there were six injured,
including two policemen, one of whom sustained critical injuries, while the
other officer was moderately hurt. They identified the two suspects in the
attack as Ghassan Abu Jamal and his cousin Udayy from the East Jerusalem
neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukaber.

Presidency stressed that it is now the time to end the Israeli occupation
and eliminate the causes of tension and violence, stressing ‘our’ commitment
to reach a just solution that is based on the two-state solution in
accordance with the legitimate international resolutions.

The presidency affirmed its commitment to maintain a calm atmosphere in line
with the understandings that were concluded with King of Jordan Abdullah II
and US Secretary of State John Kerry

In the wake of the attack, groups of Israeli settlers started to pursue
Palestinian workers in West Jerusalem, reportedly assaulting them. This has
prompted Israeli police to instruct Palestinian workers to return to their
homes fearing that they might be attacked by settlers.

Forces, following the incident, cordoned and raided Jabal al-Mukaber to the
southeast of the city, triggering clashes with Palestinian locals.

Forces fired live fire, rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas canisters
toward the house of Abu Jamal family, suspected of committing the
above-mentioned Jerusalem attack on a synagogue, injuring 22 locals.

They also brutally physically assaulted locals at the scene and arrested two
members of Abu Jamal family.

K.F. /T.R.