Statement from the Jewish Community Relations Commission of the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines 11/14/2012
In support of Israel’s self defense
After repeated warnings to Hamas and its allied terrorist organizations in Gaza that additional rocket attacks on Israeli citizens would no longer be met by half measures, Israel today began a military operation to stop the rocket attacks and to destroy the stock of Iranian-supplied weapons within Gaza. This defensive action comes after 200 rockets were launched over the past few days endangering the one million residents of southern Israel. Since the beginning of 2012, 800 rockets have been fired at Israel. The situation had been intolerable. No government would nor should permit its citizens to be terrorized by such attacks.
The U.S. State Department today expressed its condemnation of Hamas’s ‘cowardly” rocket attacks on the people of Israel and supported Israel’s right to defend itself.
“We strongly condemn the barrage of rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel, and we regret the death and injury of innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians caused by the ensuing violence. There is no justification for the violence that Hamas and other terrorist organizations are employing against the people of Israel. We call on those responsible to stop these cowardly acts immediately. We support Israel’s right to defend itself, and we encourage Israel to continue to take every effort to avoid civilian casualties.
Hamas claims to have the best interests of the Palestinian people at heart, yet it continues to engage in violence that is counterproductive to the Palestinian cause. Attacking Israel on a near daily basis does nothing to help Palestinians in Gaza or to move the Palestinian people any closer to achieving self determination.”
Source: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/11/200551.htm
JCRC appreciates the support offered by the U.S. State Department and urges all Iowans to stand with us as we support Israel in its self defense.
Mark S. Finkelstein
Director of Community Relations
Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines
Contact: jcrc@dmjfed.org
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