Standing in

 

Support for

 

Israel

 

We are grateful that the ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas late on Thursday, May 20th will, at last, provide a measure of relief as we enter Shabbat. Even with a ceasefire, the work continues; this recent crisis has led to a spike in anti-Israel misinformation, antisemitic diatribes on social media, and the physical attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions in the U.S. and around the world. Below, you will find the resources IAN has put together to support our communities in combatting antisemitism and delegitimization of Israel during this tense period.

 

As issues arise related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, BDS, delegitimization, and more, JFNA will update this page with resources you can use immediately to update your community.

Facts on the Recent Conflict


 

- The loss of life during this intense time of conflict is a tragedy. Regardless of ethnicity or religion, all people deserve to live lives free of violence.

 

- Hamas – a designated terrorist organization – has a steadfast commitment to delegitimize the state of Israel. The movement's original charter committed it to wage an armed struggle to destroy Israel, and it has a long history of denying the Holocaust happened.

 

- During this 10-day period of violence, Hamas has indiscriminately launched more than 3,750 rockets into Israeli civilian areas. Rockets have also been fired from Lebanon. Israel has the right and the obligation to defend the lives of its citizens.

 

- Hamas also has a long history of committing a double war crime by firing at Israel from Palestinian civilian areas, putting Palestinian civilians in danger and at the same time targeting Israeli civilians. They also store weapons in civilian areas, including in and around homes, schools, and hospitals. Hamas has also built a system of tunnels under Gazan homes and other civilian areas. As we have seen in past conflicts, Hamas has used these tunnels to attack nursery schools in Israel.

 

- Many reasons have been given to explain the current escalation in violence; many, however, obfuscate the truth that Hamas started by firing relentless barrages of rockets. The Israeli authorities have postponed a hearing of the potential evictions of Palestinian tenants who have not paid rent in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, and the Jerusalem Day Flag March by Jewish marchers was rerouted to avoid Palestinian neighborhoods. Israeli police have also banned Jews from entering the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif (Judaism’s holiest site), in order to reduce tensions. Meanwhile, the site remains open for Muslim prayers after a brief period of protests.

 

- There has also been a worrying increase of antisemitism in response to this crisis. Anti-Israel activists around the world have vandalized synagogues, sang chants calling Jewish ‘pigs,’ and held posters equating the Israeli state to Nazism, amongst other vile actions. Antisemitism, like all forms of bigotry, is not excusable, even during times of conflict.