Statement by the World Jewish Congress on the UN General Assembly Vote

/PRNewswire/ -- The World Jewish Congress condemns Thursday's vote by the United Nations General Assembly as being flawed from the start. The vote calls upon both Israel and the Palestinians to conduct "independent and credible" investigations of the alleged war crimes during the Gaza conflict of December 2008 within a period of three months, or the UN will then send the matter to the Security Council.

At the same time the resolution already prejudges the outcome by endorsing the Goldstone Commission's Report, and calls upon the Secretary General to send it to the Security Council. The United Nations has once again undermined its credibility and its waning effectiveness to uphold the lofty goals established at its creation.

Is there any point in responding to this ultimatum? That is a decision for the Israel Government to make and we will stand by Israel either way. It is questionable that it will make one scrap of difference to the final outcome. The World Jewish Congress hopes that, if and when this issue comes up for a vote at the Security Council, it will be dispatched in short order through a veto by some of its permanent members.

It is ironic that this vote at the General Assembly took place just one day after the Israel Defense Forces intercepted an Iranian weapons ship headed for Syria containing 3,000 rockets, a number equal to 75 percent of all rockets the terrorist group Hezbollah fired on Israel during the Second Lebanon War. These weapons were almost certainly destined to reach Iran's proxies, as was the case when the Santorini was intercepted from Beirut in 2001, the Karine A in 2002 from Iran to Gaza, and now the Francop to Syria.

In the meantime, the international community is negotiating in good faith with the perfidious Iranian Government on its nuclear file, and Israel is accused of war crimes for defending itself against the very same weapons captured only this week.

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AJC Declares Support for Israel Cease-Fire Decision

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC supports Israel's announcement of a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. The announcement followed a three-week operation launched in direct response to the repeated firing of missiles by terrorists from Gaza into southern Israel.

"We stand with Israel in its decision to announce a cease-fire," said David A. Harris, AJC Executive Director. "We express our appreciation to Egypt for its role in enabling the cease-fire. And we note with satisfaction that a key factor was the pact signed between the United States and Israel in Washington yesterday to work jointly towards preventing the smuggling of weapons, overwhelmingly from Iran and Syria, into Gaza."

"One million Israelis have lived each day within range of Hamas rocket attacks, something my colleagues and I experienced first-hand during AJC's Solidarity Mission to Israel last week," Harris added. "Hamas threatens to continue its attacks. We trust that Hamas now understands the price it will pay for further attacks, having witnessed the skill, courage and determination of Israel's armed forces. We mourn the loss of innocent lives during the recent clashes, while placing the onus on Hamas for triggering the war and callously placing civilians in harm's way."

"Regrettably, Hamas continues to threaten Israel with further terrorist attacks," said Harris. "We call on the international community to continue to isolate Hamas until it meets the three conditions for engagement set by the Quartet -- recognition of Israel's right to exist, renunciation of violence, and acceptance of previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements."

The cease-fire announcement followed a vote of Israel's Cabinet on Saturday night. The Israel Defense Forces will cease operations at 2 a.m. local time.

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Pelosi Statement on House Resolution on Gaza

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor this morning in support of H.Res 34, which recognizes Israel's right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza, reaffirms the United States' strong support for Israel, and supports the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

"Mr. Speaker, the resolution before the House underscores the more than 60-year commitment of the United States to the security of Israel.

"I proudly sponsor this resolution and I thank the other original co-sponsors of this legislation, including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman, Ranking Member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Republican Leader John Boehner, as well as the many Members who have voiced their support for this measure and for the State of Israel.

"Today, we reaffirm that Israel, like any nation, has a right to self-defense when under attack. The rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza, which were increasing in frequency and range, constituted an unacceptable security threat to which Israel had a responsibility to respond.

"All of us regret the loss of life, injury, and destruction of property of innocent civilians that has occurred on both sides of the conflict. When I spoke with Prime Minister Olmert last week, I made clear our concerns about the loss of life among civilians. We must do all we can to relieve the pain of the innocents and to bring about a real peace that will avoid further loss of life on both sides.

"If we are to achieve a real peace, we must begin with a ceasefire to the current conflict, which is why this resolution calls for the Bush Administration to work toward that end. But a ceasefire must do more than just end the current fighting -- it must address some of the root causes of the conflict so we may attain a peace that is, in the words of this resolution, 'durable and sustainable.'

"Security for Israel and an improvement in the lives of the people of Gaza cannot be achieved as long as Hamas uses that impoverished land as a launching pad for attacks against Israelis.

"The goal of any ceasefire must be more than a return to the status quo; it must be a positive and measurable step toward a final, just resolution of the differences between Palestinians and Israelis. Our goal must be to achieve an agreement between Palestinians and Israelis that results in a secure Israel living side-by-side with a viable and independent Palestinian state -- and with both finding peace and prosperity.

"The cycle of violence that feeds the fury of despair must be broken; the hard work of negotiation must be done; and the difficult but necessary decisions made so that such an agreement can be achieved.

"The United States must be an active, constant, and engaged partner in this effort. With the new energy and fresh thinking of the new Administration, we pray that an enduring settlement can be reached.

"From the moment in 1947 that President Harry Truman took the bold step of recognizing the state of Israel to this very day, America has stood and will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our democratic ally in the Middle East."

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ADL: Nazi Imagery, Anti-Semitism Rampant in Arab Media as Gaza Crisis Unfolds

As Israel's operation against the Hamas terrorist infrastructure in Gaza continues, expressions of anti-Semitism and offensive Holocaust imagery have "reached a fever pitch" in the Arab press, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

Newspapers across the Arab and Muslim world have published editorial cartoons, articles and opinion pieces laced with age-old anti-Semitic themes, including blood-libel accusations and ugly stereotypical depictions of demonic large-nosed, bearded Jews plotting to rule the world. The articles and editorial cartoons have appeared in mainstream newspapers from Egypt and Jordan, to Syria, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

ADL has released an online slide show of anti-Semitic cartoons on Gaza and a compilation of selected articles from the Arab press available online at http://www.adl.org/main_Arab_World/default.htm.

"The Arab press serves both as a powerful influencer of opinion and as mirror of the larger society, and as the conflict between Israel and Hamas plays out in the daily newspapers, anti-Semitism and Nazi comparisons have reached a fever pitch," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director and a Holocaust survivor. "In this incendiary environment, where anger at Israel already seethes in the Arab street, cartoonists and editors are doing more than heaping invective on Israel. They are fueling a toxic mix of hatred -- for Israel, for America, for Jews, for the West -- by dredging up anti-Semitism in its most lethal and virulent form."

From Riyadh to Damascus and beyond, readers of Arab newspapers are more likely to encounter swastikas and headlines declaiming a Palestinian Holocaust than they are to encounter balanced news, according to ADL, which monitors and translates the Arab and Muslim press from its offices in Israel. Editorial cartoons and banner headlines on the Gaza operation repeatedly draw on analogies to the Holocaust, both by accusing Israel of carrying out a Nazi-like campaign of extermination in Gaza, and by comparing Israelis and Jews to Nazis.

One of the most vicious cartoons, published January 7 in newspapers in Jordan and the U.K., depicted three Israeli leaders in full Nazi regalia under the headline "Israel Has the Reich to Defend Itself." A menorah above the cabal of leaders is emblazoned with a swastika.

Other cartoons show harshly stereotypical Jews dreaming of taking over the world, or controlling the United States government or the United Nations.

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Fair Witness Issues Statement on Moral Proportion and the Role of Churches in the Israel-Gaza War

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East issues the following statement by Rev. Dr. Bruce Chilton, the Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Religion at Bard College in Annandale, New York:

Why would the State of Israel attack Gaza by air, and threaten invasion on the ground? After all, the target of operations has been the territory that Israel withdrew its forces from under Ariel Sharon, dismantling and destroying Israeli settlements as it did so.

Even as Prime Minister Sharon pursued his policy of unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, his country faced regular missile attacks. Qassam rockets are primitive although highly mobile weapons; they can be fired from portable tripods, but lack guidance systems. Since 2001 civilian centers have been their usual targets, and they have produced casualties and terror without achieving strategic or tactical advantage.

Sharon calculated in 2005 that the crudity of the Qassams, and the promise of Palestinian autonomy in Gaza, would spell the end of the attacks. His calculation proved wrong. The electoral success of Hamas in 2006, followed by its seizure of power in Gaza in 2007, saw an increase in the number of Qassam strikes, as well as in the range of some missiles. For six precious months, Hamas suspended attacks, but announced the end of its truce in December. Qassam assaults have escalated.

In response Israel has targeted Qassam installations, as well as command and control centers and development sites, for sustained bombardment and destruction. International reaction against Israel -- especially from Christians -- has been more negative than the censure of Hamas for its attacks. Israelis have been accused of "disproportionate" military tactics, especially because civilian causalities have been involved. Much public criticism of Israel ignores Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, overlooks the Qassam attacks, and promotes a false moral equation.

How much force is warranted in response to an egregious wrong? Unless a realistic answer to that question can be found, violence spirals through the self-righteous atmosphere of revenge. During their often violent histories, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have demonstrated a tragic capacity to unleash reprisals against one another, using martyrdom as a means to motivate their adherents to persist in war whatever the cost. Nation-states that have inherited the cultures and the languages of the Abrahamic faiths have shown themselves no less addicted than their religiously motivated predecessors to putting their people in harm's way in the alleged national interest.

Proportion in war might seem an oxymoron; warfare represents the failure of proportionate means. But when violence overwhelms the give and take of healthy relations, how can a way back to health be found?

One measure of a policy is its purpose. In the cases of Hamas and the State of Israel, what is the aim of Qassam attacks on the one hand, and of Israel's attacks on Gaza on the other hand?

Qassam rockets are deployed by their namesake, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. Fired over the border between Gaza and Israel at civilian centers, they put into action the stated aim of the Hamas Charter of 1988: "Israel will rise and will remain erect until Islam eliminates it as it had eliminated its predecessors." By intent and impact, Qassam rockets terrorize Israeli civilian populations in an attempt to galvanize action across the Muslim world in order to eliminate the State of Israel.

Israel's attacks in Gaza involve civilian casualties, although that is not their purpose. At every stage -- deployment, preparation, and design -- Qassam are in such proximity to residential populations that even well targeted strikes bring calamitous results. But the aim of Israel is not the elimination of Gaza, but the end of Qassam attacks. The willingness of the Israeli authorities to halt their attacks in the hope that Qassam sites will be dismantled is a positive development.

War is an obvious evil, an unmistakable sign of human sin. Yet even in the case of war, humanity can be served by the aims that are set and the means employed to achieve those aims. As a war aim, the elimination of the State of Israel is morally abhorrent. Likewise, the means of Qassam rockets can hardly be justified; their only virtue is their lack of accuracy. Israel's aim, the cessation of Qassam attacks, has been accompanied by a continuation of humanitarian aid. Moral equations in times of war are parlous, but the best outcome now seems to depend upon the resolve of the State of Israel to maintain a limited war aim, and the willingness of the governing authorities in Gaza and their allies to find a way to affirm Palestinian autonomy without insisting upon the elimination of Israel. That proportion of restraint and flexibility, rather than the disproportionate assignment of blame to the supposedly stronger party, is the last best chance of avoiding an escalation of violence in the Middle East that no nation on earth can afford.

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Radio Address by President Bush to the Nation

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a transcript of President Bush's weekly radio address to the nation:

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Over the past week, I have been monitoring the situation in the Middle East closely with the members of my national security team. Secretary Rice is actively engaged in diplomacy. And I've been in contact with leaders throughout the region -- including the King of Saudi Arabia, the King of Jordan, the President of Egypt, the President and Prime Minister of the Palestinian Territories, and the Prime Minister of Israel.

This recent outburst of violence was instigated by Hamas -- a Palestinian terrorist group supported by Iran and Syria that calls for Israel's destruction. Eighteen months ago, Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in a coup, and since then has imported thousands of guns and rockets and mortars. Egypt brokered a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, but Hamas routinely violated that ceasefire by launching rockets into Israel. On December 19th, Hamas announced an end to the ceasefire and soon unleashed a barrage of rockets and mortars that deliberately targeted innocent Israelis -- an act of terror that is opposed by the legitimate leader of the Palestinian people, President Abbas.

In response to these attacks on their people, the leaders of Israel have launched military operations on Hamas positions in Gaza. As a part of their strategy, Hamas terrorists often hide within the civilian population, which puts innocent Palestinians at risk. Regrettably, Palestinian civilians have been killed in recent days.

The United States is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation facing the Palestinian people. Since Hamas's violent takeover in the summer of 2007, living conditions have worsened for Palestinians in Gaza. By spending its resources on rocket launchers instead of roads and schools, Hamas has demonstrated that it has no intention of serving the Palestinian people. America has helped by providing tens of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid, and this week we contributed an additional $85 million through the United Nations. We have consistently called on all in the region to ensure that assistance reaches those in need. And as I told President Mubarak, America appreciates the role Egypt has played in facilitating the delivery of relief supplies in recent days.

In addition to reducing humanitarian suffering, all nations must work toward a lasting end to the violence in the Holy Land, and a return to the path of peace. The United States is leading diplomatic efforts to achieve a meaningful ceasefire that is fully respected. Another one-way ceasefire that leads to rocket attacks on Israelis is not acceptable. And promises from Hamas will not suffice -- there must be monitoring mechanisms in place to help ensure that smuggling of weapons to terrorist groups in Gaza comes to an end. I urge all parties to pressure Hamas to turn away from terror, and to support legitimate Palestinian leaders working for peace.

In the days ahead, the United States will stay closely engaged with our partners in the region, in Europe, and in the international community. My Administration will continue to keep the President-elect and his team informed. And America's objectives in the Middle East will remain clear: We seek security and peace for our allies, the free people of Israel. For the Palestinian people, we seek a peaceful and democratic Palestinian state that serves its citizens and respects its neighbors. For all in the region, we seek an end to terror. And we seek an enduring peace based on justice, dignity, and human rights for every person in every nation of the Middle East.

Thank you for listening.

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World Jewish Congress Outraged by False Statement by UN General Assembly President

Ronald S. Lauder, President of the World Jewish Congress, expressed outrage over the statement made be United Nations General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann falsely accusing Israel of "collective punishment," "targeting civilians," and "disproportionate military response."

"These accusations are patently false and constitute an unprecedented demonstration of deep bias against Israel in a statement from a president of the United Nations General Assembly," said Lauder. "As Hamas, the Iran-backed terrorist organization that is running Gaza, has placed its rocket launchers and munitions amongst the crowded civilian population and hides among those very citizens while it wages missile warfare on innocent Israeli citizens, it alone bears the blame for the civilian casualties. Israel has specifically targeted Hamas installations of terror and used pinpoint strikes in order to do its utmost to avoid hitting civilians."

"The international community for far too long has ignored the thousands of rockets and Qassam missiles rained down on Israeli towns from Gaza, even during a 'lull', continued Lauder. "A first and final responsibility of a state is to protect its citizens. Not only has Israel showed remarkable restraint and care to avoid citizen casualties, truckloads bearing massive amounts of aid are being sent to Gaza from Israel in a generous humanitarian gesture. It is finally time for the international community to recognize that Israel has the right and obligation to defend her citizens from unrelenting attack, as has every other member state in the United Nations. We hope that the United Nations will finally see the light and stand up for Israel's right to defend itself against a terrorist organization bent on undermining any remote chance for peace."

The World Jewish Congress is the international organization representing Jewish communities in over 80 countries around the world. The WJC serves as the diplomatic arm of the Jewish people to governments and international organizations.

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