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Gaza Rocket Attack on Jewish State Halted by Recent Ceasefire

BACKGROUND

Rockets slammed into Israeli homes, forcing residents to flee to safety. Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists fired more than 1,000 rockets into Israel, killing two civilians, while many Palestinians were killed by missiles that fell short. The ruling regime in Gaza, Hamas, avoided the conflict in an apparent turf war between rival factions.

Israeli Defense Forces launched Operation Shield and Arrow on May 9 when its air force killed three senior Islamic Jihad commanders. This came one week after Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) launched more than 100 rockets at Israel. The Israeli government responded to threats from PIJ by ordering residents in southern Israel to stay near bomb shelters – closing schools, beaches and roads in anticipation of rocket fire. The IDF continued to strike terrorist infrastructure.

Islamic Jihad launched 1,468 rockets toward Israel – targeting even Jerusalem and Tel Aviv – over the next five days before Egypt mediated a ceasefire. PIJ rockets killed two civilians in Israel: an 80-year-old Israeli Jew helping her paralyzed husband to their shelter and a Palestinian laborer working on an Israeli farm. Israel has recognized him as a terrorist victim, entitling his family to compensation.

Misfired rockets smashed into Gazan residential neighborhoods, killing at least four, including one as young as 10. One out of every five rockets landed short in Gaza. Terror organizations do not protect their civilians, while Israel is known for warning Palestinian residents before its airstrikes.

Israel has developed multiple defense systems to help prevent civilian casualties. The most well-known – jointly developed and funded by the U.S. – is the Iron Dome, a strategic missile-targeting defense system that destroys enemy rockets mid-air. Its success rate was 95.6%. Israel also successfully deployed its “David’s Sling” defense system for the first time which is designed to shoot down short-range rockets.

Israelis are alerted to incoming rockets by sirens and the Red Alert: Israel phone app. Residents living near Gaza have only 15 seconds to seek shelter. Personal accounts reveal the intense fear and stress Israelis face on a regular basis. One of hardest-hit Israeli towns was Sderot. Resident Etti Kramer shared her heart-wrenching decision: “You have to choose which of your children you save. I grabbed the baby and the two-year old and ran to the shelter.” Many Israelis, particularly children, suffer post-traumatic stress as a result of these attacks.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Another Iranian Proxy

PIJ’s primary objective is wipe out the Jewish state and establish in its place an Islamic Palestinian state based on Sharia law. Islamic Jihad rejects any negotiations or compromises with Israel. It is classified as a terrorist organization by several countries, including the US, UK and EU.

Islamic Jihad has a decades-long track record of attacking Israeli civilians. It took credit for the first Palestinian suicide attack in 1989 when a terrorist grabbed the wheel of a crowded commuter bus and ran it off a cliff, killing 16 civilians – including one American. In 2003, 21 Israelis – 18 Jews and 3 Arabs – were killed when a female law student, strapped with an explosive belt, detonated it when she walked into the beachfront restaurant, Maxim, an iconic site of Arab-Jewish coexistence.

While Iranian-backed Hamas did not take an active role in the recent fighting, its leaders did not restrain PIJ from launching repeated rocket barrages. PIJ and Hamas are in competition with each other for control of Gaza and with the PA in the West Bank; Hamas sees Israel’s elimination of PIJ commanders as a favor.

History of a Sliver of Land

The Gaza Strip’s complex history spans several millennia. The earliest inhabitants date back to the 15^th century BCE, including the Canaanites. The area was conquered by Babylonians, Persians and then Greeks. Gaza became part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire in the early 1500s until the end of World War I, when it was incorporated into the British Mandate for Palestine.

Egypt ruled Gaza until it lost the area to Israel in 1967’s Six Day War. The Israeli government withdrew all of its civilians there in its 2005 unilateral withdrawal. The Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists seized Gaza and its two million residents after a violent coup against the Palestinian Authority in 2007. Since then, Hamas has initiated numerous wars against Israel.

TALKING POINTS

1. Multiple terrorist organizations in Gaza are dedicated to Israel’s destruction

Hamas – the regime ruling Gaza – is the most prominent Palestinian terror organization leading attacks against Israel. Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine are solely committed to destroying Israel. Their extremist beliefs fuel hatred – hindering efforts to build trust, foster dialogue and achieve peace. It is important to acknowledge that the goals and actions of these terrorists do not represent the aspirations of all Palestinians. A Palestinian living in Gaza stated that “we want Gaza to be like Tel Aviv, Jerusalem or Cairo. I don’t want there to be wars and rockets.” Rather than dedicating their resources to building a prosperous Gaza for its citizens, terrorist Palestinian leaders focus on the destruction of Israel.

2. Gaza-based terrorists are part of an Iranian axis targeting Israel

Iran backs multiple terrorist organizations in Gaza and across the Middle East. The Iranian regime provides financial, military and political support enabling the terrorists to continue attacks against Israel. Iran supports these terror groups with weapons, training and logistical assistance as part of its broader regional agenda to annihilate Israel's existence and control Palestinians. The Iranian influence on Gaza terrorist organizations challenges regional stability and undermines peaceful coexistence with Israel.

3. Palestinians in Gaza suffer under Hamas rule

The oppressive actions of Hamas and other terrorist organizations has only brought joblessness, poverty and suffering to Palestinians living in Gaza. Hamas and the PIJ prioritize their own interests and extremist agendas over the wellbeing of their civilian population. Their focus on eliminating Israel diverts attention and undermines the ability to provide basic humanitarian services. Terror leaders redirect international aid intended for civilian purposes to construct terror tunnels and acquire weapons, further hindering the development of Gaza's economy and infrastructure. Under Hamas rule, society is denied political freedom, civil liberties and human rights. Dissent and criticism of the regime are met with severe consequences, including arbitrary arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings. The strict enforcement of Islamic law on personal freedoms limits the opportunities of Palestinians, particularly women and other minorities.

4. The Palestinian education system promotes hate and violence

The Palestinian curriculum – including at UN-run schools – is an indoctrination system that systematically teaches incitement to terrorism against Israelis. Palestinian textbooks promote anti-Jewish rhetoric, depict Israel as an aggressor and glorify martyrdom. This narrative perpetuates hate and violence, making it difficult for young Palestinians to see Israelis as potential partners for peace and making them more susceptible to extremist ideologies. The education system does not prioritize teaching skills that are necessary for building a prosperous society, such as innovation and civic engagement. Educational reforms must include teaching tolerance and critical thinking to help the next generation of Palestinians find common ground with Israelis for achieving a lasting peace in the region.

5. Palestinian terrorists exploit children as soldiers

Palestinian terrorist organizations routinely recruit children to join their ranks. The use of child soldiers is a grave violation of children's rights and international humanitarian law. Children have been seen carrying weapons and participating in combat. Hamas intentionally recruits and trains children, exposing them to significant physical and psychological harm. Children are manipulated and coerced into joining terrorist groups, often through propaganda, indoctrination and promises of martyrdom and rewards for their families. Exploiting children not only robs children of their childhood and their future, but also undermines their rights to education, health and safety. The international community must condemn and address the use of child soldiers.

ACTIONS TO CONSIDER

A.  Support normalization with peace-seeking Palestinians and Arabs

Show your support for peace-seeking and pro-Israel Arabs who work against Palestinian incitement, such as Palestinian human rights activist Bassem Eid and Israeli-Arab IDF veteran Yoseph Haddad. Strengthen connections and celebrate ties with nations that embrace the Abraham Accords and are allied with Israel. An increasing number of Arab nations are choosing normalization with Israel while Palestinian leaders reject peace and educate their children to hate others.

B. Contact your Congressional members to demand reforms at UN-run Palestinian schools

Contact your U.S. Representative and Senators as well as the White House to support the UNRWA Accountability and Transparency Act introduced in the Senate in February. The bill would withhold U.S. contributions to UNRWA until the schools and other infrastructure it operates are no longer staffed by anti-American and anti-Jewish extremists who propagate attacks against Israel. Congressional representatives respond best to personally written emails.

STORIES MAKING NEWS

Jerusalem Day

Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, is an annual Israeli national holiday, celebrated on the 28th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, which begins this year at sundown, Thursday, May 18. Jerusalem Day commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty following 1967’s Six Day War. Israel fought battles simultaneously on three fronts: Egypt, Jordan and Syria. The Arab armies were dedicated to eradicating the Jewish state.

From Israel’s independence in 1948 until June 7, 1967, Jews were not allowed by Jordan to pray at their holiest site, the Western Wall. The city’s reunification was celebrated by many Israelis as a historic and religiously significant event. The Israeli government declared Jerusalem Day as an official holiday.

The day is marked by various celebratory activities, including public ceremonies and parades. Many schools and organizations lead educational programs and tours to explore the religious, historical and cultural significance of Jerusalem. One notable event is the Flag Day March. Mostly Israeli nationalists and religious groups march through the streets of Jerusalem waving Israeli flags and singing patriotic songs.

Hatred of Jews in America

• “You should go back to the death chambers,” Colorado middle school student shouted at Jewish student; Parents reported kids “cower” in fear over “rampant” anti-Jewish tirades in school district
• Jewish public interest law firm demands transparency on ethnic studies content from Hayward, CA school district
• Broad coalition of Jewish groups call on American Anthropological Association to reject “profoundly destructive” resolution to boycott Israeli universities
• New report: The Company They Keep: Organizational and Economic dynamics of the BDS Movement; National Association of Scholars: “This movement threatens not only Jewish students and scholars but also the political neutrality of higher education”
• Swastikas drawn with feces at Univ. of Cal. San Diego; Jewish students react
• Holocaust cattle car exhibit comes to Harvard to counter anti-Jewish hatred
• CEO of Passages calls on fellow Christians to counter anti-Jewish hatred in schools
• New report: The ‘Synagogue of Satan’: Uniting Extremist Groups in the Revival of an Antisemitic Libel Online; online incitement against synagogues linked to physical attacks on Jewish houses of worship
• Anti-Israel activist perpetuates myth that implicates Israel in the killing of George Floyd
• ADL CEO condemns The New York Times for fomenting anti-Jewish hate in its coverage of NY Orthodox Jews; series of articles denied Pulitzer Prize
• Assailant in van throws rock at Orthodox Jew on his way to NY synagogue
• Israel to hold first commemoration for diaspora Jews murdered in anti-Jewish attacks
• Adidas will sell $1.3 billion of Kanye ‘Ye’ West inventory, donate proceeds to charity
• TikTok influencer educates her 1.6 million followers about her Orthodox lifestyle

Stories Impacting the U.S. and Israel

• U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides to leave position this summer
• Celebrating "Israel 75" in the U.S.
• Rep. McCarthy cancels Rep. Tlaib’s planned anti-Israel event, replaces it with commemoration of 75 years of U.S.-Israel friendship
• Both houses of Congress announced joint resolution “recognizing the significance of Jewish American Heritage Month as a time to celebrate the contributions of Jewish Americans to the society and culture of the United States”
• FL’s education dept. rejects two new Holocaust textbooks in clampdown on ‘woke’ instruction
• Virginia and two Canadian provinces adopt IHRA antisemitism definition
• Tunisian national guardsman kills two Jewish worshipers at synagogue for annual pilgrimage and kills three other guards; Hours before deadly attack, coexistence on display at Tunisian Jewish festival
• Proposed House bill: Fight and Combat Rampant Iranian Missile Exports (Fight CRIME) Act
• Iran appointed Chair of the UN’s Human Rights Council Social Forum
• U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen: Iran continues its weapon, drug shipments to Yemen despite Saudi pact
• Thousands take part in anti-Israel ‘Nakba Day’ march in London
• Jewish students prevented from speaking at University of Sydney, Australia, Student Council meeting by protestors calling for the destruction of Israel
• Sarah and Hajar Accords: new regional pact places women’s rights, diplomacy at the fore

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The Focus Project develops and distributes news, background, history and weekly talking points on timely issues to inform individuals and organizations about issues affecting the American Jewish community and Israel, and help readers speak with more consistency and clarity. The editions also provide potential responses for addressing incidents of Jew hatred and anti-Zionism. With input from a spectrum of major American Jewish organizations, we focus on that which unites us, rising above political and individual agendas.



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