Tracy Richmond, Board Chair of the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire, responds to the ceasefire resolution presented to the Manchester Board of Alderman.
- Israel was attacked on Oct. 7 in a premeditated murder and hostage-taking raid, which absolutely requires a muscular national response, as any nation would do, including the complete destruction of the terrorist organization that planned and carried out the Pogrom, and is the official government of unoccupied Gaza;
- Israel has the absolute right of self-defense against all enemies, including against the U.S., UN, and EU-designated terrorist Hamas entity, which has in its official charter the requirement of the destruction of Israel and Jews worldwide as its core goals;
- Members of the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire take no pleasure in the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which was clearly precipitated by the terrorist government of Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7. We remind the “ceasefire now” community that only when all the remaining hostages and the bodies of those hostages murdered by Hamas are returned to Israel, and when Hamas and its infrastructure is destroyed, can there be a lasting peace;
- A “ceasefire” resolution by the city of Manchester would do absolutely nothing for the people of Palestine or Israel, but it does create tremendous tension and division right here at home. It makes it more likely that hate-filled violence will occur here, and it puts Jewish families, who are already experiencing unprecedented antisemitism in their schools, at risk.
In the pursuit of a just and lasting peace, let us stand in solidarity with Israel, reaffirming our shared values of freedom, democracy, and human dignity. Together, we can overcome the challenges ahead and pave the way for a future where peace and prosperity prevail for all inhabitants of the region.
