Jerusalem holds anti-terrorism rally in solidarity with Paris

Some 1,000 Israelis on Sunday afternoon held an anti-terrorism rally in Jerusalem, ahead of a massive march by world leaders and French citizens in Paris to denounce last week's terror attacks.

Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat condemned the attacks, saying it "was an assault on all of us -- the Jewish people, the freedom of press and the freedom of speech."

Barkat addressed France's Jewish community and said in French: "Today we are all the Jews of France, Jerusalem is Charlie."

The rally, which took place at the Jerusalem municipality building, was attended also by Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Shlomo Moshe Amar and leaders of the French Jewish community.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has traveled to Paris this morning to attend the anti-terrorism rally along with world leaders, including British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas.

Upon his departure, his office released a statement condemning attacks by Islamic extremists and urging France's Jews to immigrate to Israel.

"The Islamic terrorism is threatening all of humanity," Netanyahu said. "Any Jew who wants to immigrate to Israel will be received here with open arms," he added.

According to official figures, France is the leading source of immigration to Israel as of 2014, with more than 4,500 French Jews moving to Israel in 2014, a 25-year high.

Officials from the integration office and the Jewish Agency said it was attributed to both the weak economy and an increasing sense of anti-Semitism.

On Wednesday, brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi stormed into the Paris-based Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine, and shot dead 12 people, including 10 journalists and two policemen.

They charged they have avenged the honor of the prophet Muhammad, which featured in caricatures the magazine published.

On Thursday, an apparent associate of the Kouachi brothers, Amedi Calibouli, who had apparently coordinated his actions with them, killed a French policewoman and on Friday took over a kosher market and held hostages, demanding that the brothers would be released as they were in a standoff with French authorities northeast of Paris.

The three militants and four hostages in the supermarket died, while several others were seriously injured. Endit