October 11, 2023 — New York
The New York diplomatic community—including envoys from 60 nations--joined American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, for a solidarity rally today with Israel to condemn the Hamas massacre of more than 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of more than 200 people.
AJC CEO Ted Deutch told a standing-room-only crowd at the organization's headquarters that the United Nations must “stand on the side of decency, and humanity.”
He continued, “It does not go unnoticed that at a time like this, all of you, recognizing your own histories, all of the times that you looked to the world for support, acknowledge the importance of being here now, with one another, in support of Israel as Israel battles Hamas … as Israel stands up to evil on behalf of the world.”
Deutch was joined by Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the UN and Tsach Saar, the Israeli Acting Consul General in New York.
“Israel is at the forefront of the war on radical jihadist terror, and if Israel does not succeed in eradicating Hamas’ terror capabilities, the whole world will pay the price,” Erdan said. “Hamas’ genocidal ideologies … is not just about destroying Israel. It is ultimately about bringing the jihad war to each and every one of your countries. They will not stop until they murder all of what they call infidels.”
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, told those assembled “the eyes of the world are on us. The eyes of history are on us,” and said there must be a full-throated condemnation of the “unadulterated evil” that has led to 1,200 Israelis dead, more than 3,200 injured and as many as 200 held hostage.
“As President Biden made clear, Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s rights to dignity and self-determination. The path of terror that Hamas is engaged on has not improved the life of a single person or done anything to advance peace and stability,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “Let's be clear here: For far too long, Israel has been unfairly targeted in the UN system, and that needs to change. Now is the moment to stand in solidarity with Israel.”
With the specter of a protracted conflict, Deutch warned of the possibility and said as Israel battles Hamas, it must also win the battle of public opinion.
“The tendency will be to either move on or change the narrative, to forget everything that’s transpired these past few days, to recast what is happening in ways that are not only false but are dangerous,” Deutch said. “We at AJC will do everything we can to ensure that doesn’t happen.”
AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 offices across the United States, 14 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. For more, please visit www.ajc.org.
