Rabbi Danny Rich
29 June 2016

Once again the world wakes up to another attack on innocent travellers – this time returning home to, or preparing to leave from, an airport in Turkey.

Terrorism, the intimidation and murder of innocent civilians going about their daily tasks, is the modern scourge, which afflicts people of every faith and nation in every country and on every continent of the globe.

Whatever its motivations or perceived justifications, the slaughter of non-combatants is reprehensible and is condemned by Liberal Judaism as it should be by every decent person and organisation.

Judaism recognises the Divine spark in each individual and the preciousness of human life, and calls upon Jews, Christians and Muslims, and adherents of all other faiths and none to co-operate respectfully and peaceably to fulfil the ancient rabbinic imperative given in the name of Rabbi Eliezer:

‘Let one’s neighbour’s honour {and by implication life} be as dear to one as one’s own’. (Mishnah, Pirkei Avot 2:10)