Israeli Consul General Judith Varnai Shorer has offered her government’s condolences to the family of American war veteran, West Point graduate and Vanderbilt University MBA student Taylor Force, who was killed in a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv Tuesday.
“The Consul General of Israel to the Southeast, Ambassador Judith Varnai Shorer, Deputy Consul General Ron Brummer and the entire staff at the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast deeply mourns the loss of Vanderbilt graduate student, Taylor Force. We send condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Force during this difficult time. May his memory be a blessing.”
According to the Israeli foreign ministry, the country has seen more than 200 stabbing attacks, 81 shootings and 41 vehicular ramming attacks since last Sept. 13. The ministry keeps a running tally of what it calls incidences of terrorism. The government says 34 civilians have been killed in these attacks during the current “wave of terror.”Mr. Force, who was 29 and had served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan as a U.S. Army officer, was touring the “startup nation” to learn more about global entrepreneurship. He was reportedly stabbed by a Palestinian man who began his rampage at the port of Jaffa and ran along the beach in Tel Aviv before moving to a busy road, stabbing motorists along the way. Eleven others were injured.
The U.S. State Department’s travel warning for Israel mentions the complex and day-by-day nature of security in the country and says safety conditions in Tel Aviv are similar to that of other large global cities. But a March 3 update noted that attacks have accelerated since October, and while American citizens don’t seem to have been targeted for their nationality, 12 have been killed in escalating violence. Religious affiliation seems to have motivated at least some of the attacks, the warning says.
The U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv issued an updated security message March 9, the day after Mr. Force was killed, reminding citizens to “maintain a high degree of personal situational awareness and to monitor local media for information about breaking events.”
The attack occurred during a visit of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who condemned the rash of attacks on civilians.
“There can be no justification for this hateful violence, and the United States stands firmly behind Israel’s right to defend itself as we are defending ourselves at this moment as well,” Mr. Biden said in a statement relayed by the Atlanta consulate.
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