Arthur Stark, Chairman and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations issued the following statement:
By digging multiple tunnels into Israel’s sovereign territory, Hezbollah has taken yet another dangerous step towards instigating armed conflict with Israel. There should be no ambiguity about the intent or purpose of these tunnels, which were built from under private homes and factories in Lebanon and directed to civilian areas of northern Israel. They exist purely to carry out terror operations against Israeli citizens in their homes and communities. Israel has the right and responsibility to defend itself from any security threats, and to use whatever means necessary to protect and safeguard its citizens living in the Galilee region and the north of Israel.
We expect that UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) will uphold its mandate to secure the border, to ensure that no armed groups are active in the area south of the Litani River, and to disarm all armed groups within Lebanon, per UN Security Council Resolution 1701. We hope that they will work closely with the IDF and the Lebanese Armed Forces to maintain peace in the region and to safeguard the lives of civilians on all sides.
The stark choices could not be clearer. The international community, which has declared elements of Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization, must isolate it and demand that no country associate with any branch of the organization or give it any form of legitimacy.
The discovery of a third tunnel underscores the broad scope of the danger and the true intentions of Hezbollah and their Iranian backers. These are acts of war, blatant violations of Israel’s sovereignty, and an imminent threat that must be addressed properly.
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