Board president condemns ‘reprehensible’ attempt to assassinate Trump
Jewish leaders in US and in Israel also express horror at shooting at Pennsylvania rally
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Board of Deputies president Phil Rosenberg has condemned as “reprehensible” the attempt to assassinate former US president Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Rosenberg said he was “shocked by the shooting at the Donald Trump rally” and was praying for him and the other attendees, adding:”Political violence is reprehensible and an affront to the democratic values we must all cherish.”
In scenes that shocked Jewish communities across the globe a gunman shot Trump in the ear, killed one member of the crowd and injured two others at Saturday’s rally. The gunman was shot dead by Secret Service agents.
Trump later posted on social media that he was “fine” after he was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear”.
UN political leaders, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Tory leader Rishi Sunak led a unified response to the news of the attack, with all sides expressing shock and condemnation of the latest use of political violence in the States.
Starmer tweeted to send his best wishes to Trump. “Political violence in any form has no place in our societies and my thoughts are with all the victims of this attack,” he wrote on X.
The former prime minister and Conservative leader Rishi Sunak said he was “horrified by the attack in Pennsylvania … Violence and intimidation must never be allowed to prevail.”
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was named by the FBI as the “subject involved” in the attempted assassination of the former president.
He was a registered Republican, and has no known criminal record, according to a data search.
An inquiry began on why the shooter was able to get on to a roof less than 150 meters from where Trump was speaking.
Responding to the attempt to take Trump’s life in Israel, President Isaac Herzog wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “I wish former President Donald Trump a speedy recovery, and condemn utterly and unequivocally the attempt on his life.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu tweeted that he was shocked by the attack and prayed for safety and speedy recovery.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he was shocked by the shooting and continued the message of others that “violence can never ever be part of politics.”
Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli wrote in a post on X, “The attempted assassination of President Trump is a direct result of the incitement and delegitimization campaign against him.
Chikli then attempted to suggest that in Israel, a similar campaign of incitement was being waged against Netanyahu.
In America Jewish groups and individuals reached out to express well wishes to the former President, including the Jewish Democrats who said they “were alarmed by the shooting at a Trump rally” and stated that “political violence has no place in our country.”
“We wish former President Trump and all those injured or impacted by today’s incident a speedy recovery and are grateful for law enforcement’s swift action,” added the group.
AIPAC also responded on social media saying they were “grateful for the courage of the Secret Service officers who risked their lives to protect him.”
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said the shooting was a “chilling moment that reminds us of our fragility” and stressed that violence should not be normalized in the context of politics.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
