Board of Deputies President Jonathan Arkush has reacted to the brutal terrorist murders of three Israelis on Friday night.

Jonathan said: “The Board of Deputies utterly condemns the depraved murders of Yosef, Chaya and Elad Salomon, as they celebrated the Sabbath and the birth of a new grandchild in Halamish. Such a terrorist attack must be universally abhorred, and the Palestinian leadership should be leading the chorus of condemnation, not inciting violence with ‘days of rage’.

He added: "We have watched with grave concern the growing violence which began with the terrorist murders of two Israeli Druze police officers at the Temple Mount just over a week ago on Friday 14 July.

Since then violent clashes have claimed a number of lives. The leadership of the Palestinian Authority must demand that Palestinians step back from the brink of worse violence, which will hurt many and help none.

The question of managing security and access at Jerusalem’s holy places needs to be dealt with using great sensitivity and pragmatic dialogue. Israel, Jordan and the Muslim world need to consider ways of making visiting the Temple Mount safe but simple in a similar way to the security measures around the Western Wall. We urge all parties to negotiate these issues in good faith and to ensure that harmful rhetoric is avoided.”