After explosion on London train, British Jews say it strengthen resolve to fight exremists
Published September 15, 2017
(JTA) — Following an apparent terrorist attack aboard an underground train in London, British Jews said that their nation’s determination to “defeat extremists” is only strengthened by the incident.
The statement by the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Jonathan Arkush, followed reports of an explosion at the Parsons Green Station in southern London on Friday morning. Several people were injured in the blast, which police are treating as a terrorist attack, Sky News reported.
“Our thoughts go out to all of those injured in the terrorist attack on a train at this morning,” Arkush wrote in the statement. “The more the extremists attempt to disrupt our lives and challenge our values of tolerance and mutual respect, the stronger our resolve and determination to defeat them.”
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The explosion occurred at about 8:20 a.m. local time at the height of rush hour on a busy commuter line into central London.
Sylvain Pennec, a software developer from the London area took images of a suspected explosive device that is believed to have caused the blast. “I heard a boom and when I looked there were flames all around,” he told Sky News.
“People started to run but we were lucky to be stopping at Parsons Green as the door started to open. He described what “looked like a bucket of mayonnaise”, adding: “I’m not sure if it was a chemical reaction or something else, but it looked home-made.”
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London mayor Sadiq Khan said in a statement: “The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that the explosion on a train at Parsons Green Station this morning is being treated as terrorism. Our city utterly condemns the hideous individuals who attempt to use terror to harm us and destroy our way of life. As London has proven again and again, we will never be intimidated or defeated by terrorism.”
CST, the security organization of the British Jewish community, re-issued security instructions after the attack to report any suspicious objects to police. The explosion at Parsons Green Station does not appear to be have been aimed in any way against Jews particularly, CST also said.
