While the terror in Mumbai's streets may seem thousands of kilometers away, the drama unfolding there as Indian commandos battle the gunmen is all too familiar.
The carnage in Mumbai (Bombay), India's financial center, is a dreadful reminder of the threat still posed by jihadist terror to the world's democracies.

Over 125 people have been killed, and hundreds of others injured, in a series of coordinated terrorist attacks that began on Thursday on civilian targets throughout the city.

Watching the scenes unfold (there is a live feed available at: http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/video_streaming.php), I recall the numerous times I have visited the city, with its bustling streets, beautiful synagogues, and kind and warm people.

Indeed, India and Israel share a great deal in common: both are vibrant democracies in seas of tyranny, both have restive Muslim populations, and both have been the targets of Islamist fundamentalist terror.

While the terror in Mumbai's streets may seem thousands of kilometers away, the drama unfolding there as Indian commandos battle the gunmen is all too familiar.

We pray that the Indian forces will prevail over the terrorists as quickly as possible, and that the hostages being held by the gunmen - including Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivkah - will soon be set free.