NEW YORK – Today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr announced a ceasefire agreed upon by Israel and Hamas. On behalf of the Rabbinical Assembly, Gerald Skolnik and Julie Schonfeld issued the following statement expressing the RA’s continued support for Israel and gratitude for the end to violence:
We are grateful that Secretary of State Clinton, President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu have successfully led the way to an end to the recent violence provoked by Hamas’ criminal, terrorist actions. This violence has left Israelis dead, wounded and fleeing for safety. Over recent days, and until the last moments of the ceasefire, Hamas has fired no less than 1,000 rockets and mortars into the Israel we hold precious, jeopardizing the lives and homes of Israeli civilians in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and southern Israel.
The people of Israel deserve to live in peace, not fear, and the violence Hamas militants have wrought upon Israeli civilians is inexcusable and unforgettable. Even as the sirens are quieted and we cautiously celebrate the cease in rocket fire, we recognize the fragile nature of Israel-Palestinian relations, and we look toward the day when civil discussion will outweigh the use of violence.
As is it written in Ezekiel 34:28, “And they shall live in safety and no one shall make them afraid.”
We call upon the governments of the United States, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, and other world leaders, as well as the United Nations, to continue to prioritize lasting peace for Israel and its neighbors, and we pray this ceasefire truly leads to an enduring end to the violence.