PGIAA Statement on the Violence in Israel

By now you have seen the horrific and heartbreaking scenes of violence that shocked Israel and the world over the weekend. The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, staged coordinated surprise attacks on civilians inside Israel, killing more than 900 people, wounding 2,200 others and taking about 150 hostages, including women, children and the elderly.

The violence—coming on the Jewish Sabbath and during the end of the Jewish High Holy Days—was outrageous, abhorrent and unacceptable. Regardless of historical tensions in the region, there is no justification for actions that can be described only as terrorist behavior. The violence was the most lethal assault against Jews since the Holocaust, according to the U.S. State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.

Leaders in the U.S. and around the world have condemned the attacks. We stand with them in decrying the bloodshed.

Condemning violence in any form is consistent with our values, which are shared by all people of goodwill. We have an obligation to raise our voices, just as we have done during other devastating local, national and world events that demand our attention. These are moments when we must reaffirm what PGIAA stands for as an organization.