The horrific massacre at a Har Nof synagogue in Jerusalem during morning prayers is reminiscent of pogroms, the Chief Ashkenazic Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Lau, stated Tuesday.
"The dreadful scene, [victims] soaked in blood donning praying shawls and phylacteries [tefilin - ed.] reminds us all of the riots and pogroms passed down through the generations of our people," Rabbi Lau stated.
"Jewish blood has flowed like water in the streets of Jerusalem for no reason," he continued. "These saints who were murdered join their brothers who were murdered, slaughtered and massacred in Israel and in the world, as holy martyrs."
Rabbi Lau then turned to the Muslim religious leaders, calling on them to stop the waves of terror in Jerusalem.
"Muslim religious leaders must speak out, clearly and unequivocally, to condemn the murder," he urged. "They must call to stop this terrible cycle of bloodshed, in which Jews are murdered in the synagogues and in the streets of the city just because they are Jews."
Tuesday morning's massacre saw two Arab terrorists enter the Agassi St. synagogue with knives, guns, and axes before opening fire on worshippers.
Four were killed and thirteen were injured; all of them were wearing the traditional prayer shawls and tefilin (phylacteries) as they were being attacked.
It is the latest in several terror attacks in the capital city, after two car rampages near the Jerusalem light rail, the attempted murder of Temple Mount activist Yehuda Glick, and the stabbing of a Jewish man in a Jewish neighborhood earlier this week.