Leading US Jewish Groups Condemn Renewed Palestinian Violence Against Israel
Leading American Jewish groups have strongly denounced renewed Palestinian incitement and violence against Israel, amid clashes in eastern Jerusalem between Palestinians and Israeli forces.
In a statement on Monday, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (CoP) said that it condemned “the willful incitement by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas that is instigating violence and unrest in Jerusalem, as well as the continuing rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza.”
The statement from the main umbrella group representing Jewish organizations continued: “We stand in solidarity with Israel as she continues to face lawlessness and rioting spurred by Palestinian leaders who are shamelessly fanning the flames of hate and violence with apparent disregard for the safety and security of Palestinians and Israelis alike.”
The statement commented that renewed rocket attacks targeting “Israeli cities including Jerusalem, requiring thousands of Israeli civilians to protect themselves in bomb shelters, constitute a clear violation of international law and must be condemned by the international community at once.”
The CoP concluded with a call for peace. “As Jerusalem Day is commemorated and the end of Ramadan approaches, we call for calm and we pray that peace prevails,” the statement said.
In a separate statement, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) called on the US and other world governments to condemn the rocket attacks on Israeli civilians.
“The world needs to clearly and unambiguously recognize the nature and aims of Palestinian terrorist organizations, and specifically their desire to wipe Israel off the map,” said AJC CEO David Harris. “Hamas and its well-armed, Iranian-supported allies in Gaza are fundamentally opposed to Israel’s very existence, and have employed rockets, missiles, incendiary balloons, and other weapons to attack Israel.”