KIS condemns Iran attack on Israel
The Central Board of Jewish Communities (KIS) and Greek Jewry have issued a statement condemning Iran’s airborne attacks against Israel on Saturday and expressing solidarity with the people of Israel.
KIS emphasizes Iran’s role as an “instigator of global terrorism,” citing attacks by Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.
The statement calls for international action to “protect our civilization by fighting terrorism” and highlights Europe’s “moral duty to defend the existence of the State of Israel.”
It concludes by urging the international community to apply pressure to end the ongoing captivity of Israelis by Hamas.
Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles on Saturday in a retaliatory strike following a suspected Israeli attack on its embassy compound in Syria. Most of the drones and missiles were intercepted before reaching Israeli territory.
Below is the full statement:
The Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece and the Greek Jewry unequivocally condemn Iran’s attack against Israel, on April 14.4.2024, with hundreds of missiles and stand by the side of the long-suffering people of Israel who, once again in their history, are demonstrating extraordinary strength and resilience. The barrage of Iranian attacks was launched to harm Israeli citizens, as part of Iran’s longstanding policy of wiping the State of Israel off the world map. Thanks to the high sense of patriotism, the high technological expertise and readiness of the Israeli security forces along with the cooperation with allied countries – such as the USA, Great Britain, France and Jordan – this attack was successfully intercepted.
The recent Iranian missile attack, as well as the attacks launched at Israel by Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, once again indicate Iran as the orchestrator and instigator of global terrorism. Just as the alarm of incoming fire sounds in Israel daily, the alarm of the threat to our democratic values and societies from Islamic fundamentalism sounds daily in the Western world.
The international community has a shared responsibility to respond and protect our civilization by fighting terrorism. Europe has a moral duty to defend the existence of the State of Israel as the home for Jews who survived the Holocaust.
At the same time, Hamas, the proxy of Iran, continues to hold hostage in the bowels of Gaza 133 Israelis it kidnapped during the deadly terrorist massacre of October 7, 2023, that costed the lives of 1.200 Israeli citizens.
A few days before the Jewish festivity of Passover, the celebration of the Jewish exodus from Egypt towards freedom, we call on international organizations and the international community to apply pressure for the immediate release of the Israeli hostages.
