Shimon Peres, Israel

Our heart is with America, and our heart is with the thousands of families that have lost their children, their brothers, mothers. For Israel it is a day of mourning. We announced that tomorrow the whole nation will be mourning.

I am sure that as bitter and painful the event is, the only one that can save humanity from this terrible danger is the United States of America. It was not an attack only upon America, but an attack upon civilization, an attempt to introduce the wolves of the jungle into our lives, not to permit people to fly freely, to walk safely, to be assured at the places they live.

Every decent person in the world finds this heartbreaking and deeply painful. Clearly, it requires a more serious, concerted and comprehensive response against terrorism in every country.

We must be uncompromising against terrorism. We know of many countries that are centers of terrorism. We must not allow them to play with the lives of innocent people. We are in a situation in which we have traditional armies deployed against the type of enemy that no longer exists, and our modern armies are unable to cope with the new dangers emerging around the globe. We must formulate a totally new strategy.

We know of states that give sanctuary to terrorists. These states must be told that if they do not eliminate the terrorist infrastructure, they will be declared as states that sponsor terrorism, with all that this entails.

In addition to the United States, we must enlist the help of Europe, Russia, India, China and all responsible countries, since this is a danger that threatens the entire globe.

The new war against international terrorism must monitor every step of the terrorists. It must follow the fund raising process, the place the terrorists come from, the weapons, the locations, their hiding places and all other kinds of information. There is a considerable amount of work involved, and it can be examined. It is also possible to intercept the terrorists. The problem with these people is that they are crazed fanatics who are prepared to commit suicide. We cannot stop the terrorists by shooting at them, since they are not afraid to die. They are also ready to kill as many people as possible. Therefore, we have to act against them the minute they are identified.

I think there must be a call to all religious leaders – Christian, Muslim, Jewish – to condemn fully without an excuse all the suicidal vandals, suicidal persons, who are there to kill others while killing themselves. It’s against the basis of our lives, it’s against the gospels of every believer.