Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines, JCRC, and National JCPA Support Israel's Efforts to Stop Gaza Rocket Attacks on Israeli Civilians
Hamas’ dramatic intensification of attacks on Israeli civilians required Israel to protect its people. Israel air strikes targeting Hamas, terror-related sites exclusively. IDF making all attempts to minimize civilian casualties.
For additional information, contact: Mark Finkelstein, JCRC Director for the Jewish Federation. jcrc@dmjfed.org
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The following is a statement from the Jewish Council for Public Affairs [JCPA], the umbrella group of Jewish Community Relations Councils across the nation. The Jewish Community Relations Commission of the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines, on behalf of the Jewish Federation, supports the central points articulated in the statement, below, from JCPA.
National JCPA Supports Israel's Efforts to Stop Gaza Rocket Attacks
NEW YORK- December 27, 2008. The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) is standing behind Israel's efforts to extinguish weeks of sustained, daily rocket fire and mortar shell attacks from the Gaza Strip into Israel. While JCPA has a strong record of supporting Israel in its quest to negotiate peace with the Palestinians, no country can be expected to absorb continuous and unrelenting violence.
JCPA Executive Director Rabbi Steve Gutow issued the following statement about the unfolding operations in Gaza:
"It is unfortunate that Israel has had to resort to air strikes and is now grappling with a possible ground operation in the very area that it has tried hard to disengage from since 2005.
Israel has taken great lengths to avoid this sort of escalation, but was left with no other way to ensure that its civilians would not have to live in fear of rocket fire. Just a few days ago, outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made an appeal on the Arab television station Al-Arabiya asking Gaza residents to stop the firing of rockets and mortar shells so that a military response could be avoided.
Even while rockets rained down on the frequently targeted town of Sderot and in the town of Kiryat Gat-a first-time target-Israel continued to transfer food and medicine into Gaza despite no apparent end to the attacks.
As Israel moves towards elections and the possibility of turning a new page, it is our hope that the Palestinian people will take the opportunity that this transition presents to turn their own page on Hamas' failed leadership."
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The Jewish Council for Public Affairs is the community relations arm of the organized Jewish community.
Background
Israelis living near the Gaza border have been targets of cross –border rocket and mortar attacks for years, despite Israel's withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. If you recall, Gaza was taken over in 2006 by a Palestinian Islamist group, Hamas, a terrorist organization identified as such by the U.S. State Department. Hamas is largely responsible for the attacks at the crossing points into Israel, the very points where Israel has transported humanitarian supplies into Gaza, making it dangerous for Israel to provide assistance to average Gazans not involved in terrorism. Hamas is also largely responsible, having taken credit, for the 5,000 rockets, missiles, and mortars that have been launched from Gaza indiscriminately on Israeli civilians living in Israeli towns. To intentionally target civilians is a war crime.
Hamas is anti-Jewish, as clearly demonstrated by passages in its Charter that call for the killing of Jews – not Israelis – Jews. Hamas is dedicated to the total destruction of Israel. As one political scientist*, has put it: “Hamas has no program of improving the well-being of the [Palestinians in Gaza] or educating children to be doctors, teachers and engineers. Its platform hs but one plank: war, war, endless war, sacrifice, heroism, and martyrdom until total victory is achieved.” That victory, again, is the defeat of the Jews in Palestine and the destruction of Israel.
On November 19th of this year, Hamas unilaterally decided to end a cease-fire negotiated with Israel. It had not actually been a cease-fire, but rather a “period of calm,” during which fewer rockets had been launched into Israel. After the cease fire ended, Hamas began escalating its attacks, with fifty or sixty rockets flying indiscriminately onto Israeli civilians. Dozens of Israelis were treated for shock. This was an untenable situation for Israel as it would be for any nation.
In regard to the situation, Israel’s President Shimon Peres has stated: "Israel doesn't have any ambition in Gaza. But we cannot permit Gaza to become a permanent base of threatening- and even killing- children and innocent people [residing inside Israel.]"
Everyone knew that something had to be done to stop Hamas from continuing to assault Israel with its rockets and mortars.
Last Thursday, December 25, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert addressed the people of Gaza by television. He, Israeli President Peres and Israeli Foreign Minister Livni, at different times that day, virtually begged for peace.
Olmert said: " I appeal to the residents of Gaza: I speak to you as a father and grandfather and I know that there is nothing I want less than to put my children and grandchildren in danger. Is it the spirit of Islam to kill innocent children? To shoot rockets at kindergartens and at civilians? I do not think that this is the spirit of Islam. Hamas, which does this against the spirit of Islam, is the main reason for your
suffering - for all of ours.
I say to you in a last-minute call, stop it. Stop it. You the citizens of Gaza, you can stop it. I know how much you want to get up in the morning to quiet, to take your children to kindergarten or school, the way we do, the way they want to in Sderot and Netivot."
But to no avail. Despite all pleas, Hamas continued to launch rockets into Israel—and to use Iranian-supplied rockets that can strike further into Israel, at that. And as you know, Israel has now endeavored to stop the rockets from flying into Israel.
Overview
· Abbas: Hamas Could Have Avoided Gaza Raids - Alaa Shahine
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday in Cairo that Hamas could have avoided the Israeli attacks on Gaza. "We talked to them and we told them 'please, we ask you, do not end the truce. Let the truce continue and not stop' so that we could have avoided what happened," he said. (Reuters)
· Israel Must Defend Its Citizens - Amos Oz
The systematic bombing of the citizens in Israel's towns and cities is a war crime and a crime against humanity. The State of Israel must defend its citizens. It is obvious to everyone that the Israeli government does not wish to enter Gaza; the government would rather continue the ceasefire that Hamas violated and finally revoked. But the suffering of the citizens surrounding Gaza cannot go on.
Rice: U.S. Holds Hamas Responsible for Gaza Violence
The United States holds Hamas "responsible" for the renewal of deadly violence in Gaza after the Islamist group broke its ceasefire with Israel, Secretary of State Rice said Saturday. "We strongly condemn the repeated rocket and mortar attacks against Israel and hold Hamas responsible for breaking the ceasefire and for the renewal of violence there." The six-month ceasefire, which Hamas said last week it would not renew, "must be restored immediately and fully respected," she said. On the day the truce expired, she warned that renewed violence against Israel by Hamas would only hurt the Palestinians, and that the movement "needs to concentrate on turning away from violence." (AFP)
Egypt: Hamas Responsible for Israeli Response - Roee Nahmias
At a press conference Saturday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit held Hamas responsible for Israel's military action in Gaza, saying that "Egypt warned for a long time, and someone who ignores warnings is responsible for the outcome." Earlier, Gheit had said, "we suspected this would happen. Hamas didn't stop shooting rockets at Israel." (Ynet News)
Information prepared for JCRC by Mark Finkelstein
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