11 June 2009
The following statement was issued by Iris Rosenberg, Yad Vashem Spokesperson:
We were shocked to hear last night of the appalling shooting at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev spoke to USHMM Director Sara Bloomfield last night (Wednesday) to express his support, and deep empathy, to her and all the Museum staff and offered any help he could provide. Yad Vashem offers sincere condolences to the security guard’s family.
Initial reports indicate that this shooting was the work of an antisemitic white supremacist, who obviously understood the symbolism of the target he chose. The Museum in addition to being a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, is dedicated to educating against this kind of hate. His target makes this shooting that much more heinous.
