Israel, Jewish Groups Condemn 'Charlie' Terror

JERUSALEM, Israel -- The Islamic terror attack on a popular French magazine in Paris that killed 12 people on Wednesday is not likely to have a lasting impact on Europe, an Israeli ambassador told CBN News on Thursday.

“It is not the 9-11 of Europe, absolutely not!” said Zvi Mazel, an Arabic expert and former Israeli ambassador to both Sweden and Egypt. 

Despite massive demonstrations in France and elsewhere in Europe, Mazel said he thinks Europe is under a “kind of lethargy” and doesn’t have enough energy to rise up and fight the terrorism.

He pointed to the fact that when the attack first occurred the media tried to hide the “Islamic identity” of the perpetrators.  It’s “very sad” he said, but he doesn’t see the situation changing.

Meanwhile in Israel, a country and a people that have suffered tremendously from terrorism and persecution, there was plenty of sympathy and reaction.

"Much of the world's attention is now focused on the savagery that occurred in Paris. Israel joins all free nations in condemning yesterday's butchery in the capital of France," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in remarks following a meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende.

"We express profound sympathies to the government of France, the people of France," he continued. "We extend our condolences to the families of the victims and our wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured."

“Yesterday's murderous attack on free expression clearly demonstrates the disdain of radical Islam for the values we hold dear. We cherish freedom and tolerance; they worship tyranny and terror. And through this terror they seek to impose a new dark age on humanity,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu said the "extremists" are part of a "global movement" that needs a  "global response."

“I believe that with the strength of our resolve and the unity of our action, we can defeat this threat to our common civilization. And what the battle against terror requires is courage, clarity and consistency,” he added.

He said that Israel and Europe were being attacked by the same forces and must stand together.

In a letter to President Hollande of France, Israel's President Reuven Rivlin wrote that he was “shocked and saddened by the “brutal” terror attack.

“We all, throughout the free world, face the threat of terrorism and must stand united in the fight against those who seek to stifle free thought and continue to destroy the lives of so many,” Rivlin said.

In a telephone call with Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said that the Jerusalem residents “share your pain.”

“We must make sure that terror does not pay. The terrorists must be brought to justice and everyone must understand that the savage attack in Paris was not an isolated event but part of an international campaign of terror,” Barkat said. “The resilience that you and the citizens of Paris demonstrate following this brutal attack will overcome terror.”

According to a statement from Barkat’s office, Hidalgo was “very touched” by Barkat’s call and said the support of Jerusalem’s mayor and people was important to Paris.

The Anti-Defamation League condemned the attack even though it said it had criticized "Charlie Hebdo’s insulting caricatures in the past."

"Terrorism is never justified and freedom of the press must be protected,” ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman said in a statement. "Newspapers must be free to publish controversial content, not without criticism, but without intimidation or violence."

The Zionist Organization of America condemned the murder of “12 innocent people” by what it called “evil Islamic monsters.”

“The Jews of Israel and Jews around the world have experienced the horrific murder of thousands of innocent Jews by evil Muslims, who kill in the name of Allah,” the ZOA said in a statement.

The group urged President Barack Obama and the United Nations to condemn the attack as an “’Islamic’” terrorist attack, not simply a terrorist attack.”

The ZOA also urged Muslim religious leaders "to hold public press conferences denouncing this evil Islamic murder, condemning the murderers themselves, and condemning Islamic terrorist groups that go by the names of al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad, etc."

"Enough is enough," the group said.