ZF Chairman’s statement on the current violence in Jerusalem and rocket attacks from Gaza
11th May 2021
We wholeheartedly condemn the Palestinian Authority and Hamas for seizing upon the civil dispute in Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem as an excuse to incite and call for violence against Israel.
The desecration of Al Aqsa, the Temple Mount and the holy month of Ramadan by those radicals fuelled by their leaders’ calls for violence is inexcusable. Israel’s police have every right, indeed it is their duty, to use the means at their disposal to disperse the rioters and restore calm so that worshippers are able to worship freely at Al Aqsa.
We also condemn the small fringe group of Jewish radicals who have seized upon this unrest to further fuel the flames. These radicals do not represent mainstream Israeli society and are indeed condemned by Israel’s government.
Insofar as the current rocket attacks against Israel by Hamas, we call upon politicians and the media to act responsibly and call out Hamas’s continued cynical exploitation of this unrest for what it is – terrorism.
Over 350 rockets have been fired indiscriminately into Israel from Gaza over the past 18 hours, sending hundreds of thousands of Israeli men, women and children literally running for the lives to the safety of bomb shelters, and depriving the children of southern Israel their right to being able to just go to school. So too are Palestinian civilians in Gaza suffering, caught up once again in the crossfire from their leaders’ wholly irresponsible actions.
We stand firmly by Israel’s right to defend itself and hope that Hamas and the Palestinian Authority will prioritise the best interests of their respective populations and act responsibly.
