July 26, 2016 — Paris, France
AJC stands shoulder-to-shoulder in solidarity with the French people, who suffered today yet another gruesome terror attack. A Catholic priest was brutally murdered in St.-Étienne-du-Rouvray in northern France by an avowed supporter of Islamic State.
In response, Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, director of AJC Europe, said: "Jihadists picked a church this time, stabbing a priest to death during mass. Words cannot adequately describe the horror of such an assault. Ultimately, though, we have all been targeted. Jihadists have declared war against our most enduring democratic values, including respect for freedom of worship and religious expression."
"The jihadist goal is to fracture European societies," Rodan added. "Against such terror, European nations individually and collectively must stiffen their spine, face this stark reality unblinkingly, strengthen their unity of purpose, and, at the same time, proudly reaffirm their common values."
