Brooklyn Brandeis Society issues second statement on Israel-Hamas conflict

October 19, 2023 Rob Abruzzese

Jeffrey Miller, president of the Brooklyn Brandeis Society and Trustee at the Brooklyn Bar Association.
Photo: Robert Abruzzese/Brooklyn Eagle

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The Brooklyn Brandeis Society, a respected bar association in Brooklyn comprising Jewish attorneys and judges, released a second statement on Wednesday, regarding the ongoing crisis in Israel.

This new statement, following an initial message on October 11, provides a more detailed view of the society’s position on Israel’s actions and the role of Hamas in the recent violent events.

While the initial statement generally condemned the terrorist attacks in Israel and offered ways to support Israel, the latest release directly attributes the recent violence to Hamas. It describes the situation as “the single worst casualty event in Israel’s history,” noting the broader global affirmation of Israel’s right to defend itself.

Friends and Colleagues:

In the wake of last week’s unprovoked terrorist assault by Hamas, nations around the world have affirmed, in no uncertain terms, Israel’s absolute right to defend itself.

Hamas’ exercise in carnage represents the single worst casualty event in Israel’s history, and the worst since the dark days of the Holocaust. Israel is now forced to take military action to protect its people, to find and rescue scores of hostages, and to dismantle the apparatus of terror so that Hamas can never again inflict catastrophic damage.

Israel has urged Gaza residents to move south for their safety. Rather than facilitating the evacuation of civilians, Hamas has called for them to remain where they are and blocked exit routes, sacrificing innocents so that they can continue to use them as human shields.

Israel does not target civilian populations as a tactic, but Hamas has long operated out of civilian and religious sites, secreting their rocket launchers and arms caches inside these buildings and in tunnels constructed underneath them. Their cynical decision to do so guarantees there will be civilian casualties among their own people.

The unfortunate truth is that residents will be killed and injured in Gaza. Loss of life is a terrible consequence of conflict, and we do not celebrate it. However, the loss of lives in Gaza is a direct consequence of the barbaric and indiscriminate terror attack on innocent Israeli civilians by Hamas. Israel’s campaign against that terror is – literally – a matter of life and death.

Brooklyn Brandeis Society

The society’s president, Jeffrey Miller, also a trustee at the Brooklyn Bar Association, did not provide additional comments, allowing the organization’s formal statement to serve as its comprehensive stance.

In contrast to its first statement, the second one delves into the tactics used by Hamas, including the storage of weapons in civilian and religious sites. It criticizes the group for encouraging Gaza residents to remain in their homes, interpreting this as a strategy to use civilians as human shields.

Much like the initial statement, the society offered ways for individuals to support Israel, including making donations to charities and contacting elected representatives.