StandWithUs Statement of Support for Israel

[Paddy by Grace]

Please forward the following to your friends.


These are very important facts to share with elected officials and journalists. There is far too much ignorance out there regarding what led up to this operation. You can help....

For signs to support Israel, please go to Gaza Posters and Hamas Posters. These posters are ready to send to your local printer.

StandWithUs Statement of Support for Israel

StandWithUs calls on international leaders and all people of good conscience to support Israel as it acts to protect its citizens from systematic and wanton attacks from Gaza.

Hamas and its supporters bear sole responsibility for any harm to Gaza's civilians. The U.S., France, Russia, Mahmoud Abbas, (president of the Palestinian Authority), and other international leaders have blamed Hamas' escalating rocket attacks for Israel's current military action.

Hamas and other Iranian-supported extremists chose to renew their war against Israel instead of renewing the six-month "calm" that ended on Dec 19th. In the week after Dec. 19th, Gaza's terrorists committed war crimes and collective punishment by launching over 280 rockets and mortars that targeted civilian men, women, and children in southern Israel.

Israel seeks peace. It withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but instead of nation-building, Hamas seized control and has abused Gaza to build its terrorist capabilities and incite hatred and violence.

Israel respected the June 19th agreement for six months of "calm," even as Hamas strengthened its terrorist infrastructure and launched over 377 attacks during the agreement. Israel exhausted all diplomatic channels to renew the "calm," but Hamas responded only with escalating terrorism.

Israel has exercised extraordinary restraint even as Hamas has systematically targeted Israeli civilians, and Hamas has left Israel no choice but the military option it began on Dec. 27th. Israel's stated goal is to destroy the terrorist infrastructure while avoiding harm to Palestinian civilians.

Hamas' fanatical commitment to its founding document's mission of "obliterating" Israel and murdering Jews is once again causing suffering for Palestinians living in Gaza. When Israel employed non-violent strategies to pressure Hamas to moderate, the terrorist organization cynically exploited them to accuse Israel of human rights' abuses. Hamas attacks on Israel-Gaza crossings have impeded humanitarian aid deliveries. Hamas rocket misfires and "work accidents" have killed Palestinian children. Hamas' ruthless use of human shields and densely populated neighborhoods has endangered Palestinian non-combatants. Hamas' refusal to let wounded Gazans cross into Egypt for medical care is compounding casualties.

We join other international leaders in unequivocally condemning Hamas and its crimes against Palestinians and Israelis.

We call on the civilized world to support the right and above all, the duty, of every sovereign nation-including Israel-to defend its citizens from armed aggression. No nation can or should allow daily, incessant attacks against its people. There is no justification their terrorizing and intentionally murdering innocent men, women, and children.

Hamas could have easily changed Israeli policies merely by renouncing extremism and terrorism. It chose war instead. We hope the day will soon come when Hamas' self destructive battle against Israel ends, and Israelis can live with their neighbors in prosperity and peace.

We urge you to send this statement or your own letter with some of the above facts to national or international leaders. For addresses of national US officials, go to:

www.congress.org/congressorg/officials/congress/?lvl=C&aZip=&search=GO

Dont forget to copy the following officials:

President George W. Bush
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500
Phone: [phone]
[e-mail]

President-Elect Barak Obama
Contact the Obama administration transition team here:
change.gov/page/content/contact/

Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20520

Secretary of State Nominee, Hillary Rodham Clinton
clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html
Phone: [phone]

Secretary General of the UN Ban Ki-Moon
The Honorable Ban Ki-Moon
Secretary General
760 United Nations Plaza
United Nations
New York, NY 10017