ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

By M Rama Rao, India Editor, Asian Tribune, New Delhi | All the terrorists who had seized Mumbai's iconic hotel, the Taj, have been killed but seize of Oberai's Trident is continuing. The assault on Nariman House, a Jewish centre, which has also been taken over by well armed militants, is under works.

Termed as the worst ever terrorist attack in Independent India, the attack has claimed 14 police officers, 6 foreigners. A British tourist, a Japanese businessman and an Italian national were confirmed to be among the dead in the "Thanksgiving Massacre" which targeted Westerners, Indians and Jews.

The Jewish center, a communal site of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement with visitor centers all over India, is still under siege with hostages being held inside. Indian Special Forces succeeded in killing one of the terrorists in the Chabad house; another four are still suspected to be inside.

Among those captured are the Rabbi of the center, Gavriel Holtzberg, his wife Rivka and six others. The couple's two-year-old son and a staff member at the center managed to escape the building. Sandra Samuel, 44, the cook who pulled the boy out the building, said she saw Rabbi Holzberg, his wife Rivka and two other unidentified guests lying on the floor, apparently "unconscious."

Rivka Holtzberg's family live in the Israeli city of Afula. Her father, Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg, said "I got a call telling us to listen to news of terrorists attacking in Mumbai. We tried to get in touch but all the systems went down and later we heard that the terrorists stormed the building and they were being held hostage.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that it was trying to locate 20 missing Israelis in Mumbai.

Mumbai's Chabad House is a popular stop for Israeli tourists. The Holtzbergs offer visitors a number of different programs and also provide kosher food. The word "Chabad" is a Hebrew acronym for the three intellectual faculties of: chachmah-wisdom, binah-comprehension and da'at-knowledge. Today, 4,000 full-time emissary families direct more than 3,300 Chabad institutions around the world.

Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, founder and president of The Israel Project said "Just like the Passover Massacre in Netanya, Israel, this attack was by Muslim extremists who are targeting those who love freedom, tolerance and peace. While the victims were not sitting at their tables eating turkey, the timing of the attack was clearly done to capture news headlines as Americans celebrate one of their most important holidays. Indeed, Thanksgiving is a celebration of freedom and cooperation -- the opposite of what these extremist terrorists want for the world. The world must work together to stop such threats no matter from where they stem."

Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni stated, "I condemn this criminal terrorist attack that is still going on in Mumbai. This is further painful evidence that the terrorist threat is the greatest challenge which Israel and the international community have to face. Nothing justifies the unforgivable slaughter of innocents; it is therefore incumbent on the international community to cooperate in the ongoing war against this contemptible, heinous manifestation of terror. I would like to convey my sincere condolences to the families of the victims. Our thoughts and prayers are with the government and people of India."

Israeli Foreign Ministry said it is preparing to send paramedics and other rescue personnel to Mumbai. It is also examining the possibility of sending a team of Israeli doctors based in New Delhi to Mumbai to assist the local authorities in treating the injured. Plans are also put in place for Israel to deliver medical supplies and other equipment to India.

A spokesman for the Chabad movement in New York, Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin, said "It seems that the terrorists commandeered a police vehicle which allowed them easy access to the area of Chabad House and threw a grenade at a gas pump nearby" adding "Pray that we should hear good news."

Israel and India opened diplomatic relations in 1992. Since then, relations between the two countries have become broad based with bilateral trade standing at more than two billion dollars.