NEW YORK – T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights thanked Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for a speech he made last week on the Senate floor affirming the need for a two-state solution, criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and calling for new elections, and calling on both Israel and the U.S. to “do better” in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed and wounded, and hundreds of thousands are starving.
In a statement, Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah, said:
“With his historic speech, Senator Schumer has modeled what it looks like to truly support Israel. Supporting Israel looks like standing up for democracy, supporting the will of Israelis — the majority of whom want Netanyahu to resign — and supporting a political agreement that would end decades of bloodshed and occupation and ensure the human rights of both Israelis and Palestinians.
“We are grateful to Senator Schumer for his unwavering commitment to a two-state solution. This position is in line with the vast majority of American Jews, who know Palestinian self-determination is a moral imperative, and that an independent Palestine side-by-side with Israel is the most promising path to a just and lasting peace.
“American Jews are also with Schumer in his plea that we not ‘let the complexities of this conflict stop us from stating the plain truth: Palestinian civilians do not deserve to suffer for the sins of Hamas,’ and both Israel and the U.S. have a ‘moral obligation to do better,’ to protect the innocent, and to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in desperate need. Like Senator Schumer, we stand with the thousands of Israelis, led by family members of hostages, who have been protesting for months for a negotiated ceasefire, which is the only means of freeing the remaining hostages and of preventing further deaths of civilians in Gaza.
“This week, Jews around the world will celebrate Purim and read the story of Queen Esther, who uses her power to stand up for her people — at great personal risk. With his speech, Senator Schumer models the courage we need from our leaders today. We hope more elected officials and Jewish leaders will follow his lead.”
###
About T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights mobilizes a network of more than 2,300 rabbis and cantors from all streams of Judaism that, together with the Jewish community, act on the Jewish imperative to respect and advance the human rights of all people. Grounded in Torah and our Jewish historical experience and guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we call upon Jews to assert Jewish values by raising our voices and taking concrete steps to protect and expand human rights in North America, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.
