Israel Deserves 'Full Support': Cherry Hill Officials

CHERRY HILL, NJ — Israel deserves "full support" from the United States, according to Cherry Hill's Township Council.

Amid escalating battles between Israel and Hamas, the council and Mayor Susan Shin Angulo issued statements expressing solidarity with the Jewish state.

"I am saddened and outraged at the attack on the State of Israel and the Israeli people," Council President David Fleisher said in a statement on the council's behalf. "The Cherry Hill Township Council and I mourn the loss of hundreds of Israeli lives, thousands wounded, hundreds held hostage, and a nation rocked by this heinous act of war."

More than 800 Israelis and 500 Palestinians have been killed as of Monday, since Hamas launched a large-scale attack Saturday that broke the Gaza-Israel barrier. More than 2,700 Palestinians and 2,200 Israelis have been wounded, according to their respective governments.

Israel formally declared war on Sunday.

"Grief alone is not enough," Fleisher said. "Israel is a staunch ally of the United States, and deserves full support from our nation."

New Jersey has seen no credible threats of attacks inspired by the ongoing violence, state Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said last weekend. Nonetheless, law enforcement around the state increased patrols in sensitive areas — Jewish and Muslim houses of worship in particular — he said.

Despite no known local threats, Cherry Hill officials have reached out to local Jewish organizations to ensure the township meets their security needs, Fleisher says.

"The attack raises concerns of the risks of potential violence on our own homeland and in our community," Fleisher said. "Out of an abundance of caution, I have consulted our Chief of Police, the head of Jewish Federation Security, and Jewish Federation of SNJ Federation Leadership."

Read Fleisher's full statement below:

Angulo said the following: "It is crucial, especially during times like these, that we come together to support one another. We are united by our shared values of peace, tolerance, and understanding. By standing with Israel, we affirm our commitment to these values and to the belief that every nation deserves peace and security."

View Angulo's full statement:

Hamas — a militant, fundamentalist Islamic organization — has governed Gaza since coming to power during the last-held elections in 2006. Several nations, including the United States, have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.

The Gaza Strip — the smaller of the two Palestinian territories — has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since 2007. With 2.3 million residents unable to enter or leave, critics of Israel often call the territory an open-air prison.

The Palestinian uprising came after months of clashes between Israelis and Palestinians, including confrontations in Jenin and at Al-Aqsa mosque that killed nearly 250 Palestinians and 32 Israelis.

New Jersey lawmakers — including Gov. Phil Murphy — have re-iterated support for Israel since Hamas launched the recent attacks, mirroring politicians around the United States.

"(First Lady) Tammy (Murphy) and I are sickened by the videos and images of Hamas terrorists attacking, killing, and kidnapping innocent Israeli civilians in an unprecedented coordinated series of terrorist attacks," Murphy said in a statement. "We share the pain that so many are feeling today in Israel, NJ, and across the world."

New Jersey's chapter of the nation's largest Muslim civil rights-advocacy organization condemned leaders' unequivocal support for Israel.

"To paint an image of one-sidedness is both inaccurate and unethical, and an affront to the Palestinian American families and communities here in New Jersey," said the Council on American-Islamic Relations in New Jersey.