On Wednesday afternoon, March 22, 2017, London’s Westminster Bridge was crowded with pedestrians. A grey Hyundai 4x4 suddenly careened off the road and plowed into the crowd on the sidewalk, mowing down whoever was in his way. Three people were killed, plus the terrorist, and over 40 people wounded, many of them seriously.
Among the victims were a group of French students from Saint-Joseph high school in the northern French town of Concarneau who were on a school trip visiting London. Three police officers who were walking across the bridge after a commendation ceremony were also hit. A group of students from Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, Lancashire, in Britain were on a two-day educational trip to Parliament, and were also injured.
Keith Palmer, inset
Once the terrorist reached the Houses of Parliament, he rammed the buildings’ gates, exited his car and stabbed to death Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old policeman, before being shot by police. Parliament, which was in session, was placed in lockdown.
As Britain reeled from this attack on its government and our hearts go out to its citizens, many of us are wondering what we can do in the wake of this murderous rampage. Here are four ways to respond.
1. Never Excuse Terrorism
The London attack came a year after terror attacks in Brussels, which claimed 32 lives. In the hours after the carnage in London, British authorities took the unusual step of calling it a likely terror attack. Although no official blame had been announced yet, in the hours after the attack ISIS supporters around the world celebrated the attack on Twitter, writing “Allau Akbar” next to pictures of injured victims lying on the ground, sending messages hailing the “blessed London attack” and pictures of the attack with smoke billowing out and the message “Our battle upon your land.”
If the attack does end being perpetrated by a radical Islamist, it will hopefully cause the many Brits who have excused and apologized for Islamist terror when directed against Jews and Israel to rethink their positions. Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Labour, Britain’s main opposition party, is a cofounder of the Stop the War Coalition, which has organized virulent rallies attacking Israel, featuring chants glorifying terrorist organizations: “We are all Hamas now!” and “Victory to Hamas!” rang out in London when Britons protested Israeli military actions in Gaza.
The tragic London attack serves as a crucial reminder that we must stand firm against Islamist terror, wherever it strikes. Justifying or trying to excuse it when it targets Jews encourages terrorism and emboldens those who seek to harm us.
2. In the Face of Terror, Act.
In the minutes after the attack, MP Tobias Ellwood emerged as one of the heroes of the day. The 50 year old Foreign Office minister performed CPR on a wounded policeman and tried to staunch the officer’s stab wounds for 15 minutes until help arrived.
MP Tobias Ellwood
Mr. Ellwood’s brother, Jonathan, was murdered in the Bali terrorist bombings in 2002, in which 202 people, including 27 Britons, were murdered by Islamist terrorists. Britain’s Middle-East Minister, Mr. Ellwood declared in Parliament weeks ago “that it is unacceptable for Israelis going about their business to be subject to some of the brutality and the murder we are seeing. Israel has the right – in fact, I would go further and say it has the obligation – to defend its citizens.”
3. Step up Protection
In the hours after the London terror attack, British police increased patrols in heavily Jewish parts of London. When a suspicious package was seen near the offices of a Jewish newspaper in the British city of Manchester later that day, police evacuated a bus and cordoned off an area to investigate.
This elevated caution isn’t misplaced. In recent months, ISIS has published a terror manual to teach would-be terrorists how to use trucks as weapons to “crush many victims” in attacks like those in Berlin and Nice. In the hours after the attack, ISIS supporters praised the London terrorist as a “soldier”. Given this risk to our safety and way of life, we each have to demand that our communities are given protection, particularly high-risk environments such as Jewish schools and synagogues.
4. Do Good in the Merit of the Victims
When things seem dark, the Jewish response is to search for ways to bring extra light into the world. Lighting Shabbat candles (or, if you already light candles, resolving to light them early) in the merit of those who were killed and injured is one way to fight the forces of evil who perpetrated this attack. Learn Torah or perform an extra good deed as a way of countering violence by bringing more goodness into the world.
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(6) Nancy, March 24, 2017 11:24 AM
Two unrelated issues
First, I believe this certainly WAS a terrorist attack. On a second unrelated note, one of the commenters here referred to the author as Ms. Miller. Please note that she has a Ph.D. and should be referred to as Dr. Miller.
(5) Deborah, March 24, 2017 10:17 AM
A Sad Day for My Country
It is a sad day for me and my fellow Britons. Tragically, London had been on high alert for a while, and law enforcement had been practicing for such an attack. It is horrific that this has actually occurred. Ellwood is a hero. The first responders are also heroes. Rest in peace to those who died.
(4) Anonymous, March 24, 2017 1:39 AM
Appeasement emboldens the enemy.
By not calling this attack what it was, a terrorist attack, they are playing into the hands of the attackers. Denial is emboldening the enemy. Call it what it is and unite to fight it.
(3) mgoldberg, March 23, 2017 7:54 PM
So here's a comment from msnbc, indicative of how the narrative will be framed. "NBC reporter fears London jihad attack will “put wind in the sails” of the “right-wing movement”
BY ROBERT SPENCER -"The establishment media is not concerned about jihad terror attacks in the West. The establishment is not concerned about people killed in jihad massacres. The establishment media only cares that you not think ill of Islam and start to support “right-wing movements” that threaten the hegemony of the political elites.
During MSNBC’s live breaking news coverage of the suspected terrorist attacks in London on Wednesday, NBC News reporter Matt Bradley reported via phone from the British capital and was more worried about the violence helping conservative politicians than he was about the victims: “We’ve seen this rise of a kind of a right-wing movement here and throughout Europe. And this is only going to put wind in the sails of those who would say that this is an issue that needs to be looked at, that needs to be examined in terms of refugees.”
(2) mgoldberg, March 23, 2017 7:15 PM
re: islamists?
Ms Miller wrote: "If the attack does end being perpetrated by a radical Islamist, it will hopefully cause the many Brits who have excused and apologized for Islamist terror when directed against Jews and Israel to rethink their positions"
But it's the opposite. It was a call to defending 'tolerance' at all costs and how this is not Islam, which is one of the great religions of the world, and next will be that it is a disgrace to speak about islam and terrorism, or rape, or beatings etc etc etc. But that is what is needed. To whit: the muslim who today is known to be a second generation son of immigrants, who has a long criminal record, just earned his get out of jail free card, or in Islam it's this: kill infidels and you go as a martyr to muslim heaven. That was it, but no one, will discuss this absolutely traditional and highest act a muslim can perform.
Because as I mentioned before: it's the elephant in the room. Until we speak of all this, and break thru, there wil be no such change in peoples hearts because the elites will not allow such thinking. In fact, It will be just another reason to call for the forced creation of a 'palestinian state', Abbas said yesterday that the lack of this is the cause of all the strife, and wars in the world. I assume he meanst after the jews secretly caused them all. In any case. Without speaking of Islam, and Jihad, and getting rid of the fake term, 'Islamist' this will never get improved on any level.
Dvora, March 25, 2017 3:48 AM
Reply to M.Goldbeg
Excellent article. My deepest empathy to those murdered, their families, those critically injured who still fight for their lives. God bless you all. No one has the right to make you live in terror. No one! The distorted, even perverted teachings by hypocrites of Islam is NOT acceptable. Where is ANY Government quiet while such Imams etc teach such perversion, and Treason? Unfortunately M.Goldberg, you are correct in all your assessments, Keep in mind also, the terrorist in this case had a long criminal History and this adds to the inability to reason, delude, even twist logic to justify murder, mass murder. This is NOT an excuse but an observation. I have an uncanny ability to be right, even accurate about behaviors on the streets and rightly assess danger. I get people out of the way to clear the area ASAP. Sure enough, a criminal act commences but in all reality, the new wave of immigration is an invading army and as such, NO PERKS, Government funding should be given them. There are no benefits in Muslim Nations so why should they be in Western Civilization or in Israel? Blaming Israel for fighting back is NOT going to work for the European dilemma of criminal invasion operating under the disguise of a false, UNGODLY religion, Wake up!
(1) Eli, March 23, 2017 6:43 PM
Even a nuke attack wouldn't make Jeremy Corbyn support Israel
The author must not follow current events if she thinks this atrocity will cause Brits who excuse Islamist terror when it's directed against Jews to change their minds. To paraphrase a question we'll soon be asking: How is this latest in a series of Islamist attacks against Europeans different from all others? (Answer: it's not.) To again reference the Hagadah, even after enduring the ten plagues and losing his firstborn Pharaoh still chased the Jews into the sea. That might seem nuts but Jeremy Corbyn would probably do the same thing. Once someone becomes obsessed with the Jews it's pointless to try to reason with them.