Jewish groups are condemning Hamas for launching rockets toward Jerusalem on May 10 as unrest grips the city. Hamas has fired dozens of rockets toward Jerusalem as well as various Israeli communities bordering the Gaza Strip, which included an anti-tank missile that struck a civilian vehicle. The Israeli government has said that it will respond forcefully to the rocket attacks and all options are on the table.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said in a statement they are “deeply concerned” about the recent events in Jerusalem. “We strongly condemn Hamas’ firing rockets in Jerusalem and across southern Israel,” the statement read. “We stand by Israel’s right to self-defense. Those who explicitly seek to destroy the state of Israel, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the government of Iran are fanning the flames of hatred and stoking animosity.”
They added that “the tensions of the last weeks have been exacerbated by extremists, including far-right Jewish nationalists. As ADL has consistently said: all parties must avoid actions, inflammatory rhetoric, and provocations that raise tensions. Leaders must de-escalate the crisis and work towards a restoration of calm.” The ADL also praised the Israeli Supreme Court for delaying a ruling on the possible eviction of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah, a neighborhood in East Jerusalem, by a month; the possible eviction has sparked clashes between Palestinian rioters and Israeli police in Jerusalem.
American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris similarly tweeted, “Israel has every right to defend itself against incitement, terror & rockets. This isn’t a time for wishy-washy statements, moral equivalence or sanctimonious lectures from afar. It’s a time to affirm support for democratic Israel.”
The Simon Wiesenthal Center also tweeted, “As rockets fall all over Israel and Jews are attacked on the streets of Holy Land, Israel must do what every other nation would do [and] DEFEND its citizens.”
AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee] tweeted, “Palestinian terrorists in Gaza continue to launch rockets into Israel, seeking to injure and kill civilians. Israeli families are seeking safety in bomb shelters. America must stand with Israel as our ally defends its citizens from Palestinian terror.”
StandWithUs Israel Executive Director Michael Dickson tweeted, “The Palestinians love Jerusalem so much they fire rockets at it. Go figure.”
Democratic Majority for Israel tweeted, “We as Israel supporters have urged restraint on all sides. Will those who oppose Israel call upon militant Palestinian groups to stop their attacks immediately? Or will you choose to be complicit in starting a war?”
Jewish Democratic Council of America also tweeted, “We fully condemn rocket attacks targeting civilian populations, including in and around Jerusalem. The violence must come to an immediate end.”
The Republican Jewish Coalition tweeted, “We stand with the people of Israel on Yom Yerushalayim [Jerusalem Day] and every other day. No civilians should have to live with the constant threat of rocket fire & terrorist attacks, like Israelis do. Despite what the Biden admin says, what we are seeing is a nation acting in self-defense.”
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement that the Hamas rocket attacks are “an unacceptable escalation” and added that “while we urge de-escalation on all sides, we also recognize Israel’s legitimate right to defend itself, to defend its people and its territory.”