This past Sunday, a tragedy occurred in the United States and the world watched in horror as 49 innocent people were ruthlessly murdered at an LGBT nightclub in Orlando. In this time of grief, the State of Israel extends its deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims, and wishes speedy recoveries to those injured in this act of hatred. Israel stands shoulder to shoulder with our greatest ally, the United States of America, during this difficult time.
The attack in Orlando was not just an attack on club-goers at a nightclub. It was an attack on the core values that we cherish and that bind us together: life, freedom, democracy, and pluralism. To the agents of radical Islam, club-goers in Orlando, diners in Tel Aviv, shoppers in Paris and pedestrians in Istanbul are indistinguishable. We are all enemies to them in that we represent values of life and freedom which they seek to replace with values of death and darkness.
Let me be clear - in the battle between those who sanctify life and those who glorify death -- we will win and they are destined to lose.