. . . Dianne Lob, Chair, William Daroff, CEO, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Vice Chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, issued the following statement:
We are appalled by yesterday’s terrorist attack in Jerusalem’s Old City, where Eliyahu Kay z”l, an Israeli civilian, was murdered and four others were injured.
The gunman was a member of Hamas’s so-called political branch, which has repeatedly proven to be a meaningless distinction from its military wing. Hamas, as a whole, is committed the destruction of Israel, the murder of Jewish civilians, and the use of indiscriminate terror.
We commend the United Kingdom for taking action this week to recognize this absurdity and to proscribe the entirety of Hamas, not just its military wing, as a terror organization. Too many countries indulge in the dangerous fallacy that there are legitimate parts of Hamas’ operations.
While Israel’s police quickly neutralized the terrorist, his actions will continue to benefit his family for many years as they are provided with a pension from the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a reward for his murderous martyrdom. This slush fund is a constant incentive and instigator for terror activities and murders of innocent civilians. Until this “pay-to-slay” practice is eliminated, the PA cannot be viewed as a legitimate partner for peace, and nations that fund it must seriously consider the connection between their money and the spilling of civilian blood.