New York Attorney General Letitia James leads coalition in condemning attacks on Israel

October 11, 2023 Rob Abruzzese

New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led a bipartisan coalition of 13 attorneys general in issuing a joint statement condemning the recent attacks on Israel and calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Photo: Mary Altaffer/AP

Share this:

In the wake of an escalating crisis in the Middle East, New York Attorney General Letitia James and a bipartisan coalition of 13 attorneys general issued a strong joint statement condemning the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas militants. The statement comes after a weekend that saw an unprecedented number of casualties, with over 700 people killed in Israel and 400 in Gaza, according to recent updates.

“We are aghast and outraged at the wanton, calculated attacks on civilians going about their daily lives,” the statement read. “The carnage, perpetrated by Hamas and its supporters, has directly led to the loss of hundreds of innocent lives and horrific kidnappings. We grieve with our Israeli siblings and with the loved ones of all those innocent lives lost in Israel and Gaza because of this surprise attack.

“The targeting of civilians by Hamas as well as the thousands of rockets it has fired indiscriminately at civilian targets are acts that cannot be tolerated or rationalized,” the statement continued. “Violence and terror are not the ways to achieve a lasting and meaningful peace in this conflict. Only the rule of law, mutual respect and understanding can help all sides realize true security, freedom, justice, and peace.”

The coalition, which included attorneys general from states such as California, Massachusetts, and Illinois, expressed grief for both the Israeli and Palestinian families impacted by the violence. Highlighting the indiscriminate rocket attacks launched by Hamas, the group asserted that such acts could not be tolerated or rationalized.

This move by Attorney General James and her counterparts aligns with increasing international scrutiny over the conflict. The U.S. has increased its military support to Israel, a decision criticized by Hamas as “aggression”. Meanwhile, hospitals in Gaza are struggling with power outages, and the United Nations reports that over 123,000 Palestinians have been displaced.

The statement from the coalition of attorneys general concluded by advocating for the rule of law and mutual respect as the means to achieve “true security, freedom, justice, and peace.”