Hamas is a terrorist organization governing Gaza with the stated goal of destroying Israel and murdering all the Jews who live there. Hamas is not remotely interested in a two-state solution or a peaceful coexistence with Jews.

Hamas wants to take the land “from the river to the sea.” For those unfamiliar with this phrase, it means Hamas seeks all the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea (i.e., all of Israel). This is not a compromise position. Unfortunately, over the past few weeks, protestors have continually repeated this threat from Hamas across the United States – and even in downtown Allentown and on college campuses – some knowingly and others unknowingly, calling for an entire country and its people to be wiped off the earth.

“Free Palestine” is one of the most common slogans of antisemitic organizations. It calls for the removal of Jews from the State of Israel and the total eradication of Israel without qualification, so that it can be replaced by a Palestinian state governed by Islamic sharia law. This language is an explicit rejection of the two-state solution. Not surprisingly, those who care about Israel find this language violent and threatening.

The Ministry of Health of Gaza is operated by Hamas. Several news sources report data from the Ministry of Health of Gaza without first confirming the facts, which leads to stories that are inherently unreliable and many times patently false. It is no different than relying on ISIS, al-Qaeda, or other terrorist organizations to be objective and factual when sharing data.

The Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, and Hamas pay families of terrorists who murder innocent Israelis. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and members of his government defend these payments, which include a “success” bonus and a monthly stipend in perpetuity. In 2018, Congress passed the Taylor Force Act, which reduces economic aid to the Palestinian Authority until it ends this policy.

Iran is the primary sponsor. It has sent hundreds of millions of dollars to Hamas and provides military training to the terrorists. Any solution to the conflict must include assurances that Iran can no longer supply Hamas with weapons to target Israel. How would residents of the Lehigh Valley living in Pennsylvania feel if a terrorist organization funded by Iran launched thousands of missiles at our families from UN-sponsored schools and hospitals in New Jersey (yes, the same UN now controlled by Iran, China, Russia, and their allies)? Would we be calling for a ceasefire, or would we ask our government to protect us from the terrorists targeting our homes, raping our mothers, wives, and daughters, and kidnapping and murdering our children? Israel isn’t just fighting this war for itself. Iran wants to destroy the United States and sponsors terrorism against America and our allies throughout the world. It’s important for all of us to prevent terrorism from spreading worldwide.

The majority of Palestinians in Gaza live in terrible conditions at the hands of Hamas. However, did you know Hamas leaders Abu Marzuk, Khaled Mashal, and Ismail Haniyeh are reported by Forbes to be worth a staggering total of $11 billion and enjoy a life of luxury in Qatar? Where else did the money go? Rather than build schools and hospitals, Hamas used international aid from the United States and the UN to build miles of terror tunnels and purchase guns and rockets to use against Israel. Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (yes, the group that may take control of Gaza when the current conflict ends) uses international aid to pay “success” bonuses to terrorists for killing innocent civilians under its “pay for slay” program.

Hamas broke the seven-day ceasefire by firing a barrage of rockets at Israeli homes and refusing to release additional hostages. The renewed attacks by Hamas occurred as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was leaving Israel. In his remarks at the airport, Blinken was clear, stating: “It’s important to understand why the pause came to an end. It came to an end because of Hamas. Hamas reneged on the commitments it made.” The failure of Hamas to abide by its commitments further reinforces why calls for a ceasefire now are impractical. Hamas leaders have threatened to repeat the onslaught of October 7 many times to systematically murder Jews and destroy Israel. Israeli citizens must be safe from terrorism, which is why the Israeli military needs to continue the war in Gaza. As the late Golda Meir – Israel’s prime minister 50 years ago – famously said, “If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel.”

No. Genocide is an internationally recognized crime where acts are committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Israel’s response to the terrorist attacks by Hamas is aimed at ensuring the safety of the Israeli people by eliminating the ability of Hamas to launch attacks and removing them from power. The charge of ethnic cleansing in Gaza is simply false. Israel unilaterally withdrew its citizens and military from Gaza in 2005 and has not made any efforts to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group and repopulate the region with Israelis.

Apartheid is a policy that is founded on the idea of separating people based on racial or ethnic criteria. Israel is not an apartheid state. This is an accusation leveled at Israel in an attempt to create a parallel between Israel's and South Africa’s prior policies. Detractors of Israel improperly use the term to gain support for a boycott against Israel. Israel cannot be an apartheid state, because minorities and members of all faiths are part of its democratic system of government. Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Druze are represented and serve in the Israeli parliament, hold judicial appointments, and serve in the Israeli army. In addition, educational opportunities are significantly better for Arab women, Muslims, Christians, and Druze living in Israel than in any other country in the Middle East. It is also worth noting that Arabic is an official language of the State of Israel.

Yes, many times. Every peace plan offered has been rejected. The Palestinian Authority (originally known as the Palestine Liberation Organization or PLO) and neighboring Arab countries rejected: (1) the United Nations partition plan in 1947; (2) the UNGAR 194 land plan proposal in 1949; (3) the UNSCR 242 proposal in 1967; (4) the Begin/Sadat Peace Proposal in 1978; (5) the Rabin/Hussein peace proposal in 1994; (6) the Barak/Clinton peace proposal in 2000; (7) the Olmert/Bush peace proposal in 2008; (8) the Kerry “contour for peace” plan in 2014; and (9) the most recent invitation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump to join the Abraham Accords in 2019. Each of these plans would have created a state for the Palestinian people.

Jews have lived in Israel for over 4,000 years. On Christmas, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, a Jew who lived in Israel over 2,000 years ago. Still, some believe Jews never lived in Israel until it was “colonized” in 1948.

The IDF is more cautious about mitigating civilian casualties than any other military in modern times. The IDF uses efforts where possible to warn civilians before bombing in populated areas. Hamas, unfortunately, hides weapons and terrorist command centers in schools and hospitals, using human, civilian shields to protect its terrorist activities, takes civilians as hostages, rapes women, beheads children, and launches thousands of rockets on civilian populations in Israel.

No, Israel does not occupy Gaza. In 2005, then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon required the unilateral evacuation of all Israelis from the Gaza Strip in pursuit of peace. Following the Israeli withdrawal, the Palestinians in Gaza have ruled themselves and controlled their own destiny in Gaza. Regrettably, since Hamas was elected into power, it began diverting humanitarian aid to support its military operations and reign of terror, including the October 7 massacre. Even now, while hospitals in Gaza are running out of fuel, Hamas is holding fuel for its rockets and terrorist activities.

No. This term implies that Israel “colonized” or “stole” land, which is false. Jews have lived in Israel since biblical times, except for periods when they were forced to flee or convert to other religions. In modern times, spanning from the late 1800s through the early 1900s, Jews purchased land from owners in parts of the Ottoman Empire that would later become Israel. Israel was established in 1947 by the United Nations, which created two countries, one for Jews and one for Arabs. Arab nations rejected the partition plan, and many of these countries have been trying to destroy Israel since that time. Israel gained additional land in a defensive war after it was attacked by surrounding Arab countries. Over half of the current population of Israelis came as refugees from Middle Eastern or North African countries, where their families had lived for centuries before being expelled, as shown in the chart below. Most Arab countries continue to be unsafe for Jews. Israel is the only country in the Middle East where Jews are welcomed.

Absolutely not. While there have been protests against “ethnic cleansing” by the Israeli government, the accusation is patently untrue. If the Palestinians have the ability to stay alive simply by not killing Israelis, they are not facing a threat of genocide. If the Israelis have the ability to stay alive only through comprehensive defense systems, they are facing a threat of genocide. Between 1948 and 2023, the following shifts in population have occurred:

Among those abducted are women, children, infants, elderly people, and Holocaust survivors. The ages of the hostages range from a few days (yes, a child was born in captivity) to 87 years. There are so many heartbreaking examples. Here are four:

Abigail Mor Idan: Abigail is a 3-year-old hostage. She witnessed Hamas murder her parents, Roye and Smadar, before being kidnapped.

Joshua Mollel: Joshua is a 21-year-old Tanzanian graduate student being held hostage. His parents hope he will return home to Tanzania and become a farmer.

Ofry, Yuval, and Oria Brodutch: Ofry, Yuval, and Oria are 10-year-old, 6-year-old, and 4-year-old siblings who were kidnapped from their home along with their mother, Hagar.

Kfir Bibas: Kfir is a 9-month-old boy who was kidnapped with his 4-year-old brother, Ariel, and their parents, Shiri and Yarden. Their grandparents, Yossi and Margit Silberman, were initially missing, but they later were found murdered. Hamas also killed the family’s dog.

Click here for a full listing of the hostages.

Yes. The hostages are Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and Hindus. They include people from more than 40 countries, including 20 Americans, 17 Thais, 16 Argentinians, eight Germans, six French, six Russians, four Portuguese, two Italians, two Tanzanians, two Filipinos, one Dutch, one Chilean, one Palestinian resident of Israel, one Chinese, and one Sri Lankan.

Videos released by Hamas document acts of torture, sexual violence, violence toward children, and molestation of bodies. Medical experts describe the abuse as worse than anything witnessed at the hands of ISIS.

Israel is the only country in the Middle East where women (including Arab women) are educated, can drive cars, are permitted in public without a requirement that they comply with religious rules regarding hair or body coverings, can work in any job, and can serve in the military, legislative branch, and judiciary. In other words, it feels just like the United States. During the attacks on October 7 and subsequent captivity, women and girls were raped and abused. Their breasts were cut off. Their limbs were severed. Medical experts testified that the abuse was worse than anything committed by ISIS. Terrorists FILMED the atrocities and posted them online. The Jewish community has always supported the feminist movement, and the silence from the movement is now deafening.

Israel has stood with the LGBTQ+ community for years. Israel is the only country in the Middle East where LGBTQ+ rights are celebrated. Tel Aviv hosts the largest pride events on the continent of Asia. Yet, when medievalist terrorists inflicted inhumane violence on defenseless civilians, the international LGBTQ+ community remained silent. On many college campuses, the LGBTQ+ community supported only those in Gaza, where members of the LGBTQ+ community would be executed by Hamas based solely on their sexual orientation. A group called Queers for Palestine has been vocal in its support for Palestinians, but it’s clear that Gaza (and nearly every other place in the Middle East other than Israel) is not a welcoming place for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Despite efforts by antisemites, white supremacists, and racists to divide our communities, the relationship between the Black community and the Jewish community remains strong. The Jewish community has suffered much of the same persecution and prejudice as the Black community, and we stood together bravely during the civil rights movement. American Jews played a significant role in the founding and funding of the NAACP, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Find out more at www.rac.org. Meanwhile, Israel has saved tens of thousands of Black Jews being persecuted in African countries, and Israel has provided significant support to African countries developing improvements in agriculture and technology (hence the reason some of the hostages are Black students from African countries). The relationship between the Black community and the Jewish community is incredibly special and must remain strong. We cannot allow others to divide us.

The UN, through its refugee agency, has allowed humanitarian aid to be diverted to Hamas and other terrorist organizations. The UN funds educational programs in Gaza that include antisemitic training, pushing the parties further from peace. Hamas leaders – many of whom live with their families in other Arab countries – have also siphoned away significant international aid for their own wealth, while the people in Gaza have struggled.

Egypt has enforced a blockade against Gaza’s southern border for decades to prevent terrorists from entering Egypt, but the world does not criticize Egypt (nor should it) for maintaining its security. Likewise, most of the Arab countries in the area convinced the Palestinians to flee their homes in 1948 and join in the wars against Israel. Those same Arab countries now refuse to support the Palestinian people through aid or efforts to improve life in Gaza.