To download this statement release in PDF format, click here.

The Executive Council of Aus­trali­an Jewry (ECAJ) condemns the actions of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups in Gaza which over the last two days have fired more than 450 rockets, mortars and other explosive pro­jectiles targeted at civilian pop­u­la­tion centres in southern Israel, including the cities of Ashkelon, Ashdod and Beer Sheva.

The attacks have claimed the life of Moshe Agadi, a 60-year-old Israeli man, who was killed after a rocket hit his home. More than 80 Israeli civilians have been injured. Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system has inter­cep­ted some of the rockets, and thus averted an even higher casualty count.

Whilst we deplore the death and injury of innocent civilians on both sides, the respons­ib­il­ity for the outbreak of violence lies squarely with the terrorist groups in Gaza and primarily the Hamas rulers of the territory, whose Charter calls for Israel to be “oblit­er­ated”, and who delib­er­ately target Israeli civilians while cynically using the people of Gaza as human shields.

Our prayers and sym­path­ies go out to the family of Moshe Agadi. We stand in solid­ar­ity with the people of Israel, who regularly face murderous attacks from the ter­ror­ists, and wish them strength and stead­fast­ness in the face of the attacks to which they have been subjected.

Contact
Peter Wertheim AM | co-CEO
ph: 02 8353 8500 | m: 0408 160 904 | fax 02 9361 5888
e: [email protected] | www.ecaj.org.au