American officials and police officers joined Israeli counterparts outside Jerusalem on Sunday to mark the 15th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
The ceremony took place at a large 9/11 memorial, the only one outside the United States to list the names of all 2,996 victims.
Ron Lauder, chairman of the US branch of the Jewish National Fund, which paid for the memorial, noted that the memorial even lists numerous victims from nations that continue to view Israel as their enemy.
“Everyone is remembered, no matter their country of origin, no matter their religion, no matter what the color of their skin is,” said Lauder. “That’s because Israel recognizes all people as human beings, no matter what their governments say and do.”
Echoing that sentiment, US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro told the gathering that “perhaps none can identify more with our pain than Israelis.”
The event was addressed by several other officials, including Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat (see above video) and former Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren.
Nearby in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened his weekly cabinet meeting by stating, in English:
“We remember the victims. We embrace their loved ones. We stand with our greatest ally, the United States of America, and with other partners in the battle against militant Islamic terrorism that spreads its fear, its dread, its murder around the world.”
Originally posted at Israel Today Magazine.
