World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder issued a strong statement condemning Thursday’s terror attack targeting Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
Lauder emphasized that the attack is part of a disturbing pattern of antisemitic and terror-related incidents across the globe.
“The attack today at Temple Israel in Michigan is not an isolated event," Lauder said in a statement. “In recent weeks, synagogues in Canada have come under fire. A bomb was detonated outside a synagogue in Liège, Belgium. Incendiary devices were thrown outside Gracie Mansion in New York by ISIS sympathizers."
Lauder described these actions as deliberate attacks on Judeo-Christian values, noting that they are not random but coordinated efforts to undermine these core principles.
“These are acts of terror aimed squarely at western and Judeo-Christian values. The rise of antisemitic acts targeting Jews is part of the same war on those values," he said.
Although Lauder acknowledged that no lives were lost in the Temple Israel attack, he stressed the gravity of the situation.
“That no lives were lost in these attacks is nothing short of miraculous," he said. “But miracles and complacency will not keep our communities safe. Bondi Beach showed how deadly such attacks can be."
Lauder warned that if leaders fail to act swiftly, the very foundation of democracy and society could be at risk. “If leaders don’t act quickly, democracy and society as we know it are at risk of total collapse," he concluded.
The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) reported on Thursday that the terrorist who carried out the attack at Temple Israel was a Lebanese man named Ayman Ghazali, originally from the town of Machghara in the Beqaa Valley.
According to the report, the attacker allegedly wanted to avenge the deaths of his two brothers, Qassem and Ibrahim Ghazali, who were killed in an IDF strike on the town last week.
The attack occurred at about 1:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, when the attacker crashed his car into the synagogue.
Witnesses reported hearing gunshots soon after the vehicle crashed into the building. The vehicle also caught fire.
Police forces were called to the scene and were able to eliminate the shooter.