Four Jewish Victims of Paris Attacks Buried in Israel

At the funeral of #ParisTerror victims in #Jerusalem widow of slain Philippe Barham lights a candle in his memory.

The entire world mourned this past week when terrorists committed multiple attacks in Paris, related to depictions of the Muslim prophet Muhammad in the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. One of those attacks took place in a supermarket on the east side of Paris, where four Jewish shoppers became victims of the shooters that invaded the establishment.

The bodies of those four Jewish victims were returned to Israel to be put to rest. Their funeral was attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, among many other notable public figures and several thousand Israeli citizens in a deeply moving ceremony.

PHOTO: Thousands attending funeral of 4 Jewish victim killed in Paris attack, taking place in Jerusalem – @reglash

The four men did not know each other in life, but the events of their death have connected them forever. They were four of the 17 total people murdered over the course of three days in attacks by gunmen who claimed they were operating on the behalf of al-Qaeda and the Islamic state. Another 12 people were killed at the Charlie Hebdo offices.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has encouraged French Jews to immigrate to Israel in the wake of rising levels of anti-Semitism in the country. However, it is clear that there has been a lot of support for the Jewish community in the days since the attacks took place. Millions of people marched throughout France on Sunday to show their support for all of the victims of the attacks, including the four Jews whose bodies were returned to Jerusalem. While the victims never lived in Israel, it is a somewhat common practice for Jews to be buried in the Holy Land despite never residing there.

All of these attacks and the news surrounding them have been shocking and saddening. At Curt Landry Ministries, our heartfelt prayers are with all of the victims and their families. We encourage you to open your hearts to the people of France, especially the Jewish community as they mourn the loss of these four.