‘We must stand in solidarity’; Local leaders condemn Hamas attack on Israel

Israel at war: The response in Washington

Local leaders are speaking out against the Hamas attack on Israel this weekend, which has now escalated into war.

SEATTLE - Local leaders are speaking out against the Hamas attack on Israel this weekend, which has now escalated into war.

The Israeli government officially declared war against Hamas on Sunday, a Palestinian militant group recognized by several countries as a terrorist organization. The organization launched a ‘surprise attack’ in Gaza on Saturday, gunning down and taking hostage hundreds of civilians, according to the Associated Press.

Following initial reports of the attack, local leaders condemned the actions of Hamas.

"This is a massacre that is a genocidal anti-Semitic massacre in the south of Israel. And it is absolutely unacceptable in our world today. There is nobody on earth who can see this and not stand up and say that’s it. Enough is enough. We cannot allow this kind of inhumanity to plague our civilization," said Elan Carr, CEO of the Israeli American Council.

U.S. Senator Patty Murray issued the following statement:

"I strongly condemn the terrorist attacks against Israel. Israel has the right to defend itself and the United States will ensure they have the support to do so. I’m thinking of all those hurt by this horrific violence and will continue to monitor the situation closely."

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell echoed these sentiments and urged U.S. support:

"We must stand in solidarity with Israel in repelling this brutal attack on civilians and their towns. My heart goes out to all the victims of these terrorist attacks and I am praying for civilians caught up in the fighting. We must ensure full U.S. support for Israel to defend itself and work to avoid further escalation and a wider war."

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued the following statement:

"Washingtonians are horrified by the unspeakable violence in Israel. I condemn this attack by Hamas. There is no excuse for targeting and killing civilians. We hope for the swift recovery of the injured, the safe release of those taken hostage, and a halt to this violence."

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell shared a statement from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which reads:

"The nation’s mayors condemn today’s deadly and horrific attack by Hamas militants on innocent Israeli civilians. Terrorism has no place in society, and we will continue to stand in solidarity with Israel as we have done since 1948.

"For more than 40 years, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has worked with Jewish organizations to send delegations of U.S. mayors to Israel. These meetings began in partnership with Jerusalem’s visionary and legendary Mayor Teddy Kollek, and they have brought U.S. mayors together with their counterparts and top government officials in Israel. The bonds between U.S. and Israeli mayors have long been productive and remain strong to this day.

"Just last March, a delegation of U.S. mayors visited several of the kibbutzim and villages that were invaded today. The mayors had the privilege of meeting with Mayor Ofir Liebstein of Sha’ar Hanegev, San Diego’s sister city. We are devastated that he was killed earlier today defending his town against this terrorist attack.

"As we hope for eventual peace, we recognize Israel’s right to defend itself, and we extend our deepest condolences for the lives lost. May their memory be a blessing."

As of Sunday afternoon, the death toll has reached 1,100 dead and thousands wounded on both sides, including Americans. President Joe Biden has ordered a U.S. strike team be sent to support to the Eastern Mediterranean to assist.

"We as a people of any faith, any nationality, any race— we need to understand that while the conflict is complicated, we’re taking about human lives that are being lost here. These are human beings," said Nancy Greer, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle.

CAIR Washington is a Seattle-based civil rights and advocacy organization serving the Muslim community. In a statement, CAIR Washington wrote, "Every human life has value, whether it is Palestinian or Israeli. The central cause of recent violence in the Middle East is Israel’s decades-long illegal occupation of Palestinian land and the denial of Palestinian human rights. The only way to permanently stop the violence is to end the occupation, which kills hundreds of Palestinian civilians every year and subjects millions more men, women and children to systemic, racist oppression."