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Jewish groups reaffirm commitment to supporting refugees in the face of post-Paris security fears
November 23, 2015 17:16
Representatives of the UK's synagogue movements and prominent Jewish organisations have signed an open letter to the press to restate their commitment to refugees.
It comes after questions were raised over the flow of migrants into Europe with the news that two of the Paris attackers had posed as refugees to enter France.
The letter, which was initiated by the Jewish Council for Racial Equality (JCORE), has been signed by the Board of Deputies, the Union of Jewish Students World Jewish Relief, the Jewish Volunteering Network, the Association of Jewish Refugees, Tzelem, The Woolf Institute, The League of Jewish Women and Mitzvah Day, among others.
Edie Friedman, executive director of JCORE, said: "Of course, security is uppermost in our minds right now. But while recognising that, we mustn't lose sight of our common humanity – the very thing that separates us from the terrorists. We must also remind ourselves that the refugees are fleeing from the very violence that engulfed Paris."
The letter reads as follows:
“The horrific events of Friday 13 November have inevitably cast a shadow over all of us. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and friends and the people of Paris.
We must not allow these horrendous events to divide our communities. Nor should we lessen our commitment to supporting refugees who have endured unspeakable horrors in their quest for safety.
Many in our community, conscious of their own history, are committed to doing something practical in response to the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War. It is imperative at this time that we stay focused on that challenge and continue with that work.”