Gov. Murphy Re-Affirms Israel Support After Deadly Attacks On Gaza

NEW JERSEY — It's a precarious time in one of the most polarizing corners of the world, but Gov. Phil Murphy went to Israel to deepen New Jersey's relationship with the nation. Days after attacks in the territory — which have killed dozens of Palestinians including children and prompted a return of rocket launches — the governor emphasized his support for Israel.

"Thank you for welcoming us, President @Isaac_Herzog," wrote Gov. Phil Murphy, tweeting a photo Tuesday with him and Israel's leader. "It was an honor to meet with you and reaffirm the strong New Jersey-Israel relationship. I look forward to deepening the economic and cultural bond between New Jersey and Israel."

The governor and First Lady Tammy Murphy traveled to Israel on Saturday — the day after Israel began a series of bombardments against Islamic Jihad positions in the Gaza Strip. The attacks killed at least 44 Palestinians, including 15 children, and injured hundreds in the territory, according to Gaza's health ministry.

The Islamic Jihad fired hundreds of rockets in response. Most were blown up or intercepted, but three people sustained injuries while another 31 were slightly hurt, according to Israeli authorities.

Several pro-Palestine organizations around New Jersey expressed disappointment in Murphy for making the trip.

"His actions and unwavering support for Israel — especially in the midst of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza earlier this week that killed 15 Palestinian children — can only translate as a lack of concern and support for Muslim and Palestinian American constituents," Dina Sayedahmed — communication manager for the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations — told Patch via email.

Israel claimed victory in the weekend attacks, in part because the Israel Defense Forces killed two Islamic Jihad commanders. The nation attributed 14 deaths to Islamic Jihad-fired rockets that fell short. But both the Islamic Jihad and Hamas — the militant group which runs Gaza — held Israel responsible for all the deaths, but the Islamic Jihad told Reuters it's conducting an investigation.

Egypt brokered a ceasefire Sunday night, which paused the air raids. But both sides reserved the right to respond if the ceasefire gets breached.

The Murphy's returned to New Jersey on Thursday, according to the Office of the Governor's public schedules. The governor hasn't taken a public position on the deadly attacks, and a Murphy spokesperson didn't return comment on Patch's inquiries about the trip.

Why Murphy Went To Israel

New Jersey's relationship with Israel goes back decades, with the Garden State and the Jewish state recognizing an official Sister State Agreement in 1988. The special partnership hatched out of "shared values and ideals" but also holds economic benefits, according to the New Jersey-Israel Commission. Bilateral trade value between New Jersey and Israel totaled $1.55 billion last year.

New Jersey passed a 2016 law, with nearly unanimous State Legislature support, which prohibited the state from investing its pension and annuity funds in companies that boycott Israel or Israeli businesses. The legislation said the state "is deeply concerned about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) effort," referring to a pro-Palestine movement that seeks to end international support for Israel.

Murphy also visited Israel in 2018 to strengthen New Jersey's economic ties with the nation. The governor — then in his first year — met with officials and businesses in the realms of science, technology and cybersecurity — three aspects in which Israel is a hub for development.

The governor's office spoke plenty of Murphy's first trip to Israel in his executive capacity, with daily news releases about what he did there. The Murphy administration has taken a different approach in terms of this trip's publicity. In March, the Murphy administration shared data showing deepening relationships between Israel and New Jersey, with annual trade up $311 million.

But unlike Murphy's similar trip to Ireland in April — announced a month in advance, the administration stayed mum on the Israel trip. The administration mentioned the trip Aug. 5 in its daily email to media that includes the next day's public schedule for Phil and Tammy Murphy. The governor has tweeted a few photos of himself with dignitaries and his trip to the Western Wall.

The trip entailed travels to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Ramallah with the Center for Innovative Policy — a Democratic-leaning think tank. From there, the governor would "conduct a series of economic development meetings to deepen ties with businesses to benefit New Jersey," according to the schedule.

In Ramallah — a Palestinian city in the West Bank — Murphy met with Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Ziad Abu Amr. They discussed "our strong cultural and economic bonds," Murphy tweeted Thursday.

But strengthening economic ties with Israel shows a lack of support for Palestine, according to Wassim Kanaan, vice chair of the New Jersey chapter of American Muslims for Palestine. Kanaan called on Murphy to engage with Palestinian civil society and advocates.

"Israel’s economic strength is propelled by the theft of Palestinian resources and blatant discriminatory allocation of basic resources," he said. "Palestinian farmers, who contract with NJ-based groceries in Paterson, struggle to compete with produce companies in the illegal Israeli settlements. That Governor Murphy is expressing optimism about strengthening New Jersey’s economic ties with Israel is alarming."

It's the governor's eighth trip to Israel since 2014 and his third since getting elected governor, according to Forward.

Murphy told the publication he didn't think about postponing the trip amid Israel's military offensive and the Islamic Jihad's retaliation.

"I have never let the circumstances of the moment get in the way of my going there," Murphy told Forward. "If you’re not with folks you claim are friends with us at challenging times, then what kind of a friend are you?"

Murphy spoke out against the May 11 killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh — a reporter for decades throughout the Palestinian territories and the Middle East.

"Horrified by the death of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Journalism and journalists are critical to democracy, and an independent and objective investigation is needed," Murphy said May 15.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concluded June 24 that the Israeli military shot and killed Abu Akleh.

"It’s been three months since NJ resident Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli forces," Sayedahmed said. "At the time, Governor Murphy said he was 'horrified' by her death, but Israeli forces have yet to be held accountable. His friendly visit to Israel stands as a stark contrast to the sentiments he’s expressed."

Support For Israel Remains Popular

Israel — a close U.S. ally — still has the support of the majority of Americans, according to polling. A Gallup survey from March showed 55 percent of U.S. adults sympathizing more with Israel than Palestine, with 26 percent saying vice versa.

But the poll showed diminishing support for Israel and rising support for Palestine, compared to past years. And Democrats showed nearly identical support for Israel (40 percent) as they did for Palestine (38 percent). The poll found a similar trend among young adults — 40 percent supporting Israel and 37 percent supporting Palestine among agest 18-34.

Amnesty International declared in February that "Israeli authorities must be held accountable for committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians." The human rights group argued that Israel's governance over Palestine constitutes apartheid under international law through "massive seizures of Palestinian land and property, unlawful killings, forcible transfer, drastic movement restrictions, and the denial of nationality and citizenship to Palestinians."

But the most recent attacks produced polarizing responses. The Jewish Federations of North America, which has several New Jersey chapters, condemned last weekend's "acts of aggression" against Israel.

"We must urge our elected officials to publicly support Israel’s right to self-defense against terrorists and thank those who already have," the organization said.