On Saturday 27 October, Europeans strongly condemned the attack on a synagogue in Pittsburgh (USA). A man opened fire in the Tree of Life synagogue while a service was taking place for the Sabbath. Eleven people were killed and six wounded.
The spokesperson for the European External Action Service said that the attack "shows the magnitude of a wave of antisemitism and racism that is spreading in many countries". "The EU reaffirms its strong condemnation for antisemitism as well as for any incitement to hatred and violence", the spokesperson added, expressing the EU's condolences to the families and friends of the victims, as well as to the US authorities. The spokesperson also said that the EU stands in solidarity with the community of the synagogue of Pittsburgh and with all the Jewish communities around the world.
"We have experienced on our continent the devastating and unforgivable consequences of antisemitism and hatred that can never be forgotten; as European institutions we won’t stop working to protect the fundamental right of belief, wherever it’s questioned or attacked", the spokesperson added.
The presidents of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, also reacted. Tajani notably said that the "blind hatred that drove the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre shows that much more work needs to be done to fight the scourge of antisemitism and bring communities together". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)