15 May 2018

Commenting on the tragic violence and deaths in Gaza over the past 36 hours in the wake of the opening of the new American Embassy in Jerusalem, Rabbi Charley Baginsky, Liberal Judaism’s Director of Strategy and Partnerships, says:

“The tragedy here is that neither the current Israeli or US governments, nor the Palestinian leadership, seems to have any strategy for peace, which of course can only follow a just and secure settlement for all the people of the region.

“While it does not excuse the Hamas-orchestrated violence which we have seen yesterday and today at the Gaza border, the outcome of President Trump’s decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem was wholly predictable and devoid of any conceivable benefit towards peace and reconciliation.

“While Israel has every right to consider Jerusalem as its capital, unilateral recognition merely serves to increase Palestinian resentment and further emphasise the current inequality between the two peoples.

“These latest tragic events emphasise that any meaningful strategy towards peace must start with working towards the creation of a level playing field between the parties for negotiations. This necessarily includes mutual recognition of both Palestinian and Israeli statehood, a understanding of the significance of Jerusalem to both parties, and a respect for life and restraint in the face of provocation, however hard, whatever the circumstances.”

“Israel is today less, not more, secure as a result of the Israeli and US Government actions and for those of us who love Israel and want it to thrive that is profoundly sad.”