Netanyahu ‘heartbroken and appalled,’ other Israeli officials speak out after 11 killed at Pittsburgh synagogue

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was among the Israeli officials who reacted to the Saturday morning mass shooting that left 11 dead and six others — including four police officers — wounded in Pittsburgh.

According to Reuters, he said he was “heartbroken and appalled” upon hearing the news.

“The entire people of Israel grieve with the families of the dead,” he said.

Netanyahu made it clear that his nation stands together “with the Jewish community of Pittsburgh, we stand together with the American people in the face of this horrendous anti-Semitic brutality and we all pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded.”

Federal authorities are expected to consider hate crime charges against suspect Robert Bowers based on the suspected gunman’s possible anti-Semitic motivation.

In addition to Netanyahu, Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett offered his prayers for those involved in a statement confirming he would be traveling to Pittsburgh in the aftermath of the shooting.

“The State of Israel is deeply pained by this terrible anti-Semitic murder,” he said. “Our Jewish brothers and sisters came under a murderous attack while at prayer.”

Bennett echoed Netanyahu’s sentiment, affirming that Israel’s “hearts go out to the families of those killed, and we pray for the swift recovery of the injured, as we pray this is the last such event.”

Such thoughts continued in a statement from Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon.

“We will stand together like a rock against hatred and against those who try to harm Jews all over the world,” he said.

[Featured image: AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar]