National Council of Jewish Women is deeply saddened by twin bus stop bombings in Jerusalem today, which killed a 16-year-old Canadian-Israeli boy, Aryeh Shechopek, z”l, and wounded at least 22 others. We are heartbroken by this loss of young life and pray for the speedy recovery of all victims.

These attacks are senseless acts of violence resulting in tragic bloodshed and trauma, and conjure painful memories of similar bombings in the 90s and 2000s, when hundreds of civilians were killed. We are distraught by the escalation of violence in the West Bank and Israel over recent months, leaving another generation of children and teens to reckon with this trauma.

We hope to see more compassionate rhetoric and policy from Israeli and Palestinian leaders that encourages peace and cooperation, not violence and hate. We pray for the safety and security of everyone in the region.