UNION FOR REFORM JUDAISM AND

CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF AMERICAN RABBIS STATEMENT ON ISRAEL UNDER ATTACK

New York, NY; May 6, 2019 – We hope and pray that the cease fire holds, and at the same time, the Union for Reform Judaism and Central Conference of American Rabbis deplore the massive rocket attack unleashed upon Israel and its citizens by Islamic Jihad and Hamas, the terrorist clients of the Iranian regime, which controls the Gaza Strip.

We mourn the innocents who have lost their lives in this new round of violence. We pray for the healing of the injured and for the safety of the Israel Defense Forces as they strive to combat this murderous assault on Israeli sovereignty and security. As we send strength and blessings to our congregations in the south of Israel, we are grateful that peril to life and limb in Israel has been greatly limited by the effectiveness of the Iron Dome, emblematic of longstanding U.S.-Israeli security cooperation.

As this week, together with Jews across the globe, we prepare to celebrate Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut, we stand in solidarity with the State of Israel and all Israelis even as we pray for Israel’s safety and security, for an end to this tragic violence, and for a future of real, lasting, and sustainable peace for Israel and for the Palestinian people.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs

President, Union for Reform Judaism

Daryl Messinger

Chair, Union for Reform Judaism

Rabbi Ronald Segal

President, Central Conference of American Rabbis

Rabbi Steven A. Fox

Chief Executive, Central Conference of American Rabbis

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