(November 12, 2019 / JNS) Jewish and pro-Israel organizations condemned the rockets fired from Gaza into Israel on Tuesday, following the latter assassinating Palestinian Islamic Jihad senior leader Baha abu al-Ata in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

“Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an Islamist terrorist org backed by Iran, is again attacking Israel with 100’s of missiles aimed at civilians. We stand w our friend & ally Israel at this critical moment & support Israel’s right to defend itself & bring an end to these barbaric attacks,” tweeted U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.

“The U.S. fully supports our partner & ally Israel in their fight against terrorism and the terrorist group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ),” tweeted U.S. special envoy to the Mideast Avi Berkowitz. “The Administration strongly condemns the barrage of rockets on Israeli civilians and continues to monitor the situation. It’s clear that the main obstacles holding Gazans back are Hamas and PIJ who put violence ahead of bettering the lives of the people of Gaza.”

“Palestinian Islamic Jihad is an Iranian-backed terrorist group. Its goal is to destroy Israel. It operates in Gaza, targets Israel with rockets & puts countless Israeli and Palestinian lives at risk. Last night in a precision strike, Israel took down a leader of the terror group. … The group is trying to kill and terrorize Israelis by indiscriminately firing at Israeli cities and towns,” tweeted AIPAC.

In a statement, J Street said it is “deeply concerned by the latest escalation between extremist militants in Gaza and Israel, in which the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has launched a barrage of rocket attacks against Israel following an IDF operation that killed a senior PIJ leader. We strongly condemn these rocket attacks on Israeli civilians. At this time, our thoughts are with the residents of southern and central Israel, with the IDF forces working to keep them safe and with all civilians on both sides of the divide.”

“We support Israel’s right to defend itself against acts of terror. We also urge Israeli and Palestinian leaders and the international community to take all possible steps to prevent a further escalation of armed conflict,” continued J Street. “Time and again, we have seen such escalations fail to resolve this conflict in any way, and instead lead to greater suffering and instability both for Israelis and for the people of Gaza.”

“Our thoughts are with the people of Israel who have been subjected to 150+ rocket attacks from the Iranian-backed, Islamic Jihad in Gaza since early morning. We stand in solidarity with Israel and the thousands in bomb shelters. We hope tensions will deescalate quickly,” tweeted the Anti-Defamation League.

“Once again, Israelis are being barraged by rocket attacks from Gaza, which have caused schools to close in much of the country and disrupted life for millions,” Jewish Federation of North America spokesperson Rebecca Dinar told JNS. “Federations stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel’s resilient citizens across the nation and send prayers for peace.”
Schools and certain public buildings in the Tel Aviv area and southern Israel were closed as a result of the rocket attacks.
Jewish Community Relations Council spokesperson Jeremy Russell told JNS his organization is “deeply concerned about the attacks targeting Israeli civilians this morning, and our thoughts are with the people of Israel as they once again face an onslaught of indiscriminate rocket fire—this time aimed at cities and towns—from terrorist groups in Gaza. We hope that a cease-fire can be arranged quickly and without further suffering.”

“The terror campaign by Tehran-backed Islamic Jihad underscores once again Palestinian and Iranian intention to sow chaos in the region,” B’nai B’rith International CEO Dan Mariaschin told JNS. “No nation would tolerate such attacks. Where is the global outcry against this terror campaign?”

“Praying for the safety of Israelis under rocket attack and thankful for the strong defenses that keep the nation safe. May these attacks end and peace and security be restored swiftly,” tweeted Rabbi Jonah Pesner, director of the Religious Action Center, the political arm of Reform Judaism.

“We stand with the Israeli people and strongly condemn the more than 150 rockets fired on Israel from Gaza in the past 12 hours. We’re also grateful for the Iron Dome missile defense system, which is saving countless lives in Israel,” tweeted the Jewish Democratic Council of America.

“Last night, in a surgical strike, Israel killed the commander of a terrorist group who was responsible for scores of terrorists acts and was about to launch more,” said Democratic Majority for Israel president and CEO Mark Mellman in a statement. “Fortunately, civilians were not killed in the airstrike, which prevented imminent terrorist attacks.”

He added, “All people of good will should join in publicly condemning these attacks and supporting Israel’s right to defend itself.”

Republican Jewish Coalition spokesperson Neil Strauss simply told JNS, “We condemn PIJ and strongly support Israel’s right to defend itself.”

Jewish Community Relations Council spokesperson Jeremy Russell told JNS his organization is “deeply concerned about the attacks targeting Israeli civilians this morning, and our thoughts are with the people of Israel as they once again face an onslaught of indiscriminate rocket fire—this time aimed at cities and towns—from terrorist groups in Gaza. We hope that a cease-fire can be arranged quickly and without further suffering.”

In terms of ending the rocket fire, U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov is expected to arrive in the Egyptian capital of Cairo to launch negotiations, reported Israeli media outlet Kann.

Reactions from Congress

Members of Congress, including Jewish ones, reacted to the latest between Gaza and Israel.

“Rockets from Islamic Jihad continue to hit Israel, following Israeli operation to kill terrorist leader. This indiscriminate rocket fire against civilians must be condemned. Israel has the absolute right to protect its people from these attacks,” tweeted Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.).

“Today, more than 150 rockets have been fired into Israeli communities by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. I condemn these indiscriminate attacks that have injured civilians, & fully support our ally Israel & its right to defend itself against these attacks,” tweeted Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.).

“Israel has a sovereign right to defend her citizens from indiscriminate terrorist attacks. She experienced 100+ rockets launched at civilians today. I just led a bipartisan Israel trip w/ Congresswomen to deliver a commitment to Israel’s safety & security,” tweeted Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.).

“Nearly 200 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel today, indiscriminately putting Israeli civilians in danger as schools and shopping centers have had to close. Israel has a right to protect its citizens and defend itself, and such terrorism deserves full condemnation,” tweeted Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.).

Almost a year since the Oct. 27 shooting at the Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the Jewish community has continued to offer reflections on the deadliest attack in American Jewish history.

“We observe on Sunday the anniversary of the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in American history, in which 11 innocent people were murdered simply because they were Jews,” said the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations in a statement. “We mourn the lives lost and the senseless carnage wrought one year ago. We stand in solidarity with the family and friends of those killed and injured, and the entire Pittsburgh Jewish community.”

“This tragedy ended the age of innocence for American Jewry. It can no longer be said that we are immune to the pandemic of anti-Semitism,” the statement continued. “We must learn from this tragedy and work to prevent further occurrences. Security at all communal institutions including synagogues, schools and centers must be enhanced while we maintain them as inviting and open facilities.”

The organization added, “As we mark this solemn occasion, words and condolences are not enough. There must be action from all sectors of government and society. Jews and non-Jews alike must unite against anti-Semitism in all its forms, at home and abroad, if the increasingly urgent threat of global Jew-hatred is to be confronted.”

B’nai B’rith International has raised money for its Pittsburgh Healing Fund and will be distributing the funds towards mental-health support for survivors and a program to assist first responders, including organizations such as the Jewish Family and Children Services of Pittsburgh.

The B’nai B’rith fund will also support a program to assist first responders.

“All Americans, including American Jews, have the right to expect our centers of worship to be safe havens where we can connect at once with our fellow faithful and the Divine,” said the Simon Wiesenthal Center in a statement. “It brings us great sadness that after that terrible day, so many Jews no longer feel safe in these precious and sacred gathering places.”
“Things have gotten worse, not better, since Pittsburgh. We will continue to fight this rising tide, partnering with our allies in law enforcement, education, the clergy and government,” continued SWC. “But what is most needed is the involvement of good-hearted people in every city, town, church and school who recognize the manifestations of anti-Semitism, both obvious and subtle, and are willing to speak up and say: No, not here, not with our children, not in our community.”

Responding to calls for more safety provisions, Pennsylvania state lawmakers included $3.2 million in funding and expanded safety opportunities for at-risk schools in the FY 2019-20 budget. Pennsylvania was the first state in the nation to fund security personnel at nonpublic schools through the Safe Schools Targeted Grant Program and now, nearly five years later, the Commonwealth has expanded safety provisions to include security equipment and programs grants.

The police officers who were wounded in the shooting, who have since been back at work, have expressed appreciation to Pittsburgh’s Jewish community for its support.

’We need to stop violence using every tool possible’

“It’s difficult to believe a year as passed since the shooting at Tree of Life synagogue,” Gov. Tom Wolf told JNS. “I’ve carried sorrow for the victims, their families and the community as I sought to understand why this heinous attack occurred and how we can prevent anything like it from ever occurring again.”

Wolf honored the shooting’s victims last month while visiting Auschwitz in Poland, where he wrote their names in the memorial site’s guestbook. He also went to the Holocaust memorial in the Lithuanian town of Paneriai, where 70,000 Jews were killed. At each site, the governor carried the mezuzah that was on the office door of Tree of Life rabbi Jeffrey Myers.
The ornate mezuzah snapped when police broke down the door of the synagogue in their rescue efforts and to stop the suspect, Robert Bowers. Federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against him.

Wolf has signed a proclamation declaring Oct. 27 as an official day of remembrance, ordering state flags to half-staff one year after the attack. While state flags will be at half-staff, the U.S. flag will remain at full-staff.

“The shooting at Tree of Life synagogue revealed hate here in Pennsylvania. We need to do everything we can to stop it before it grows,” said Wolf. “We need to work together to prevent Pennsylvanians from being attacked due to bigotry, and we need to stop violence using every tool possible. That includes everything from programs supporting tolerance to legislation preventing future shootings.”

The synagogue has announced that it will reopen and continue to use the building as a place of worship. It will also utilize the space for classrooms, exhibits, social events and include a memorial to commemorate the lives lost in the mass shooting.
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A date for the reopening has yet to be set. The building has not been in use since the shooting.

The outbreak of fires in Israel is already being termed “pyro-terrorism,” as at least 24 persons have been arrested over the past several days in connection to the blazes. With hundreds of homes destroyed ( by some estimates, half a billion shekels in damage in Haifa alone) and tens of thousands displaced, the total acreage burned now exceeds that which was destroyed in the Mt. Carmel fires six years ago.

Aiding and abetting those who may have started these fires have been messages carried by social media, praising the outbreak: according to Ynet News, one Tweet said “All of Israel’s neighbors must aid it — I suggest they send planes filled with gasoline and rain it down on the burning areas. I want to inhale the smell of barbecue from the Zionists.”

According to Haaretz, the hashtag #israelisburning included, among the thousands being sent, one from Fatma Alqu (“What a good day”), and another from Kamil (“Israel burns and I love it! What will you do VS Allah’s power you zionist (sic) dirt-bags…”). The Israeli media has published many others, from the Palestinians territories and the Arab world.

While the messages celebrate the wildfires, they also serve to exhort others who might want to join the party. But while this social media campaign is tied to the rash of blazes, the language used is from the same canon that has fueled incitement against Israel and Israelis for decades.

Since the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, the one constant on the Palestinian side has been incitement. Called upon to end it when the agreement was signed, it has remained a daily weapon deployed by Palestinian political and religious figures, the media and in schools. By now, the incitement roster is well known, including most recently, charges that Israel is poisoning Palestinian water supplies; has no connection (Israel and the Jewish people) to the Temple Mount and the Western Wall; and denies medical care to Palestinian in the territories, a libelous charge if ever there was, given the hundreds of Palestinians treated in Israeli hospitals daily.

Indeed, a Palestinian baby born on the day the Oslo Accords were signed is now a 23-year-old adult raised on daily doses of hatred. So it should come as no surprise that this new (and surely there are others to follow) hashtag campaign is punctuated by the language of hate and a desire to see Israel’s end.

To be fair, the Palestinian Authority sent 50 firefighters to Israel to help extinguish the fires, a gesture which produced many Tweets from Israelis and others expressing appreciation (they joined more than 300 foreign firefighters from many countries, including Russia, Egypt, Jordan, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey). Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called PA President Mahmoud Abbas, to express thanks for the assistance, which the latter described as “humanitarian.” The Prime Minister’s office also noted that both Jews and Arabs opened their homes to victims of the blazes.

Perhaps the deployment of the firefighters is the gesture that breaks the ice over the stalled peace process. Whether it is, or is simply an aberration, time will soon tell. A new presidential administration will surely have its own assessment about the “process” and more broadly, the chaos and strategic wildfires burning out of control in Syria, Iraq and Yemen and by Iran’s unabashed support for terrorism and creeping hegemonism in the region.

The social media incitement and the #israelisburning campaign may not have originated in the PA’s Ramallah offices. But the years of incitement emanating from there, spewing out over so many years, provided the tinder for the matches of hatred thrown out on Twitter and Facebook  during the course of the wildfires in Israel.

The PA and its leadership, if they were ever serious about a negotiated peace with Israel, have frittered away the past 20 years by, on the one hand, inciting its own people against Israel, and on the other, by counting on international support for the Palestinian narrative. The current hashtag campaign, and its incessant use of the United Nations and its agencies to further the Palestinian narrative, are the fruits of their labor. In the process, increasing numbers of Israelis ask if there is a serious partner for an accommodation — of any kind. Perhaps the fires in Israel and the language of the hashtag campaign are a wake-up call for those who have looked the other way at incitement against Israel. It is not a winning strategy. But past history would not be a cause for optimism on this point.

The social media revolution has given us the ability to immediately reach out to the public, to government officials and to colleagues, family and friends in unprecedented ways. It has also given those who hate the unimpeded opportunity to injure and maim in 140 characters or less, and to exhort others to join the fray, oftentimes, as we have now seen, with violent and dangerous consequences.

The social media campaign connected to the pyro-terrorism that has played out in Israel in recent days is a new strain of a growing virus.

Until now, the Palestinian leadership has seen no need to “educate for peace.” It should look at the content of the fire-related Tweets, and contemplate what that nihilistic policy has wrought.