Statement Simon Wiesenthal Center on calls for ceasefire by the Chicago City Council

January 31, 2024

For immediate release:  
 
 
At 7:45 AM CST, the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles issued the following statement in response to the calls by the Chicago City Council for a ceasefire in Gaza.
 
“In its recent decision by the United Nations’ International Court of Justice at the Hague about the current fighting in Gaza, the Court did  not  call on Israel to stop its battle against terrorist Hamas, it did  not  demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire. In fact, there was a ceasefire in place on October 6th, 2023 that was brutally and murderously broken by Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s invasion of southern Israel where they targeted, brutalized, and killed Israeli civilian families in their homes and young people at a peace concert; mass murdering innocents, raping, kidnapping, hostage-taking and sexually abusing hostages. Hamas leaders have repeatedly declared this attack will be duplicated in the future.

Any civilized nation, whose civilians were so brutally attacked would do everything to permanently remove that threat. And that is what Israel is doing.
 
We join with all Americans in praying for the end to the civilian casualties, but the loss of innocent blood is purely on the hands of the terrorists. The US should continue leading the way to bring more basic supplies to the people of Gaza and ensure that Hamas criminals can no longer steal aid meant for civilians. Ultimately, the way to help Gazans regain their lives, Hamas must release all hostages, alive and dead—now.”
 
 
For further information, please email Michele Alkin, Director of Global Communications at malkin@wiesenthal.com or Erik Simon at esimon@wiesenthal.com, or 310-869-1354, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed.
 
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS, and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO). 

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