An attack at an Israeli synagogue that killed four worshipers was meant to show that no place was safe in Jerusalem, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told Fox News' "America's Newsroom."
"This [was an] attack against a synagogue in a Jewish neighborhood of Jerusalem — not in east Jerusalem where the Arabs live primarily. But, an attack in an otherwise peaceful neighborhood, I think, intended to convey the terrorist message that no one is safe anywhere in the city," Bolton said Tuesday.
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Two Palestinians wielding meat cleavers and a gun killed three Americans and one British citizen in the attack. All of those killed held dual citizenship with Israel, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised Israel would "respond harshly" to the incident.
While the Palestinian militant organization Hamas had "applauded the attack," Bolton said they had "not taken credit for it." He said of Netanyahu's stern warning that the U.S. should "watch developments there."
"When Prime Minister Netanyahu says there will be a harsh response, obviously, the question is, harsh against whom? And, if there are links that this was directed or inspired by Hamas, then I think we know what the Israeli retaliation will be," he said.
Since foreign citizens were killed, Bolton questioned whether that factored into the motivation for the attack, adding the possibilities now for peace negotiations "between Israel and the Palestinian authorities is pretty close to zero."
Bolton also suggested that the use of "knives and axes" in the attack was also "related, in part, to what we see in ISIS (the Islamic State) — beheading foreigners, including three Americans," as well as similar bloody attacks in London and the U.S.
"The terrorists are clearly intending to show, not only are they willing to sacrifice their own lives, they are going to commit their terrorist acts in the most bloodthirsty way they can," Bolton said.
And, I don't think you can blink this reality anymore. This isn't workplace violence," he said.
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