The Zionist Rabbinic Coalition convened in Washington, DC, on May 20-22, 2024. In response to the brutal, unprecedented Hamas massacre of Israelis and in reaction to American response, we affirm the following principles:
- We stand in solidarity with the State of Israel.
Israel must be allowed the right to defend its population from terror, just as any nation has the right and obligation to do so. We appreciate the effort of the many American officials who have stood with Israel as it seeks to eliminate the terrorist threat to its existence presented by Hamas. Any effort to curb Israel’s ability to prosecute the war is a misstep for the United States in particular, and Western Civilization at large, as the shared threat of extremist, barbaric terrorism is a threat to all democracies and free societies. Consequently, US foreign aid must not be conditioned in any manner that would hinder Israel’s defense. 128 people, including five Americans are being held against their will in captivity by Hamas in Gaza. The United States government must exert every effort to pressure Hamas and all its allies and funders to force their release. The totality of the 128 remaining captives forms a global humanitarian crisis that must not be tolerated or ignored. Their immediate, unconditional release should evoke international outrage and must be a priority of all nations.
- We support Jewish students attending American colleges and universities who face physical threats as well as academic discrimination.
While we hold dear the right of freedom of speech, the Gaza protests have revealed themselves to be an anti-Israel, anti-Semitic movement affording cover and masks to students who wish to spew forth abhorrent Jew hatred. They are not expressions of free speech, but efforts to bully, harass and intimidate Jewish students, and anyone who supports Israel. American government officials at every level must ensure that college campuses remain safe for Jewish students, for whom Israel is a major component of their Jewish identities. The actions of these faceless protests must carry consequences. Physical attacks, acts of intimidation and illegal threatening actions must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and morally confused leadership must be removed at every academic level.
- We call upon university administrators, civil authorities, and American Jews to remain united as Israel faces existential threats from around the world.
As we face rising levels of Jew hatred around us, we maintain faith in the Jewish tradition, in the unity of the Jewish people and the Almighty to lend us guidance as we encounter levels of challenge that we believed had been relegated to chapters of history. We must now summon a collective strength as Jews and as Zionists to face these new threats with a sense of unity and recognition of our common destiny. We therefore call upon all Jews and Jewish organizations to stand united in support of Israel and the IDF so that it will prevail in its efforts to free the hostages and defeat Hamas.
