Yesterday, four Israeli civilians, including a pregnant woman, were murdered in their car, by Palestinian terrorists. Hamas praised the murders, and congratulated those responsible for them.

As this week's long-awaited Middle East peace talks get under way, we call upon the Palestinian leadership to reject terrorism and to give peace a chance. Despite yesterday’s violence, Israel still seeks peace and will go forward with the direct talks that it has sought for the last two years.

Yesterday's attack reminds us that Israel is right to insist that the security of its people is of paramount importance. Israeli civilians have endured acts of terror for more than three generations, since the Palestinian leadership and others in the Arab world first rejected a two-state solution.

During this period, every Israeli withdrawal and peace effort has been answered with rockets, bombs and bullets directed at civilians. These terrorist acts have guaranteed the continued suffering of both Palestinians and Israelis alike.

At this critical moment, Israel requires our active, engaged and energetic support in order to overcome the difficult challenges that she faces. Today, each of us—as concerned individuals who care deeply about Israel—has an important opportunity to educate and motivate our friends, family and co-workers to support this young and struggling nation.

We encourage you to reach out through Facebook, through personal blogs, in letters to the editor, on websites, through email and in person--with the message that Israel, first and foremost--desires peace. To achieve this peace, Israel must be given concrete assurance that the terror, the incitement to violence, and the threats of annihilation by the likes of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran will stop.

For the Jewish people, the High Holidays usher in a season of judgment and of peace. We mourn those who have been murdered. We hope for justice for those who took the lives of innocents. And we continue to work and pray for peace along with the people of Israel.

 

Barry Shrage
President, CJP