Washington, DC – In response to the IDF commencing a full ground invasion of Gaza City – with over 100,000 reservists called up for what may be a months-long operation in Gaza’s largest, most populous city – J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami issued the following statement:
“This marks yet another catastrophic escalation in this devastating war. Watching the Netanyahu government drive Israel deeper into the abyss as it becomes unmoored from its founding values is deeply painful for the Jewish people and many of us who care about Israel’s future.
This assault threatens horrific consequences for over 600,000 civilians who have been forced to flee their homes and for hundreds of thousands who remain. Families who spent nearly two years in rubble and hunger now face increasing bombardment and the impossible choice of fleeing with no shelter, few supplies and nowhere safe to go.
We are appalled by Defense Minister Katz’s proclamation that ‘Gaza is burning’ and share the alarm of hostage families who fear this will place their loved ones in mortal danger. This could be ‘the last night’ alive for the hostages, the Hostage Family Forum has warned.
It has become inescapably clear that for the extremists at the helm of the Netanyahu government, the goal is not the release of hostages nor the defeat of Hamas, but the destruction of Gaza and indefinite occupation of the Strip.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s boast that Israel will become ‘Super Sparta’ – a hyper-militaristic society, isolated from the rest of the world – is not a vision for Israel’s future that its supporters in our community can recognize. It’s a plan only to deepen Israel’s path to pariah status and accelerate its moral and political decline.
In this difficult moment for friends of Israel, it’s time for tough decisions. The US must stop fueling this destruction, prohibit our weapons from use in Gaza and press urgently for negotiations that can free the hostages and bring this nightmare to an end.”