To Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman:
As our elected leader, you have a fundamental responsibility to base your viewpoints, suggested policies and actions on facts, not misinformation or politically motivated narratives. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas must be reported and evaluated through verified current evidence and historical context to ensure statements made are rooted in truth.
To this end, we must factually correct and debunk blatant falsehoods you publicly share. The truth is:
- Hamas instigated this war, endangering civilians and perpetuating violence. Hamas is the primary source of suffering in Gaza.
Hamas embeds military operations within civilian infrastructure, using schools, hospitals and residential buildings as shields, confirmed by videos and intelligence reports — tactics that blatantly violate international law.
- Beyond its military aggression, Hamas’ rule in Gaza is marked by oppression and brutality.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian leaders have criticized Hamas for its reckless endangerment of Palestinian lives and its undermining of Palestinian self-determination.
Reports of Hamas executing dissenters reveal the authoritarian grip it maintains over Gaza, suppressing any opposition to its rule.
- Hamas is not just a threat to Israel — it is a direct threat to the United States and Western values.
The United States designated Hamas as a terrorist organization, underscoring the need to treat it as a global security threat rather than just an Israeli problem.
- Israel is conducting a defensive war against Hamas and has undertaken extraordinary measures to minimize civilian casualties. No other military worldwide implements such comprehensive precautions in urban warfare.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) employ precision-guided munitions, intelligence-driven targeting, and a range of precautions — including evacuation warnings via phone calls, text messages, leaflets, and the use of non-lethal “roof-knocking” strikes — to protect non-combatants.
Israel has designated humanitarian safe zones within Gaza to protect civilians, yet Hamas actively embeds itself in these safe zones, discourages or prevents civilian evacuation, increasing civilian casualties for political leverage. Additionally, reports citing 50,000 Palestinian deaths fail to distinguish between combatants and civilians, omitting crucial context.
- Israel is not engaged in a campaign of extermination or forced population displacement.
Demographic data consistently shows population growth in both Gaza and the West Bank. Since Oct. 7, there have been 67,000 births in Gaza alone according to Hamas’ own statements.
Genocide, by definition, entails the deliberate annihilation of a people — a claim entirely inconsistent with these population trends.
- Israel facilitates significant humanitarian aid to Gaza, despite Hamas’ consistent efforts to exploit or obstruct these efforts.
The Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) has enabled delivery of over 1,775,000 tons of essential supplies, including medical aid, food and other necessities, via land, sea and air.
Since the conflict began, over 6,100 humanitarian operations have been carried out, including maintaining water access through multiple pipelines and pumping facilities in Israel and Egypt.
Most recently, on March 1, the day the first phase of the ceasefire was scheduled to end, Hamas rejected an Israeli proposal to extend it in return for the release of more hostages. Israel, in a further effort to reach a resolution, unilaterally extended the ceasefire deadline to allow more time for negotiations. However, with Hamas refusing to comply, Israel was left with no choice but to resume military operations.
The international community and members of Congress must recognize that this war is not about Israeli expansionism or ethnic persecution — it is a defensive struggle against a terrorist entity that endangers both Israeli and Palestinian lives alike.
Rather than spreading misinformation that fuels inflammatory rhetoric against Israel and Jews in the United States and around the world, congressional leaders like yourself should demand that Hamas immediately release the remaining hostages, both dead and alive, to end this war now. If members of Congress focus on that instead of demonizing Israel, the war will end — and with it, Palestinian suffering.
Respectfully,
Rabbinical Leadership of Heart of NJ (District 12 only):
Rabbi Larry Brandspiegel, East Brunswick Jewish Center
Rabbi Eric Eisenkramer, Temple B’nai Shalom
Rabbi Mayer Freedman, Torah Links of East Brunswick
Rabbi Dovid Gross, Torah Links of East Brunswick
Rabbi Eli Garfinkel, Temple Beth El of Somerset
Rabbi Joshua Hess, Young Israel of East Brunswick
Rabbi Joel Mishkin, Congregation Beth Ohr
Rabbi Shmuel Polin, Etz Chaim
Rabbi Robert Wolkoff, Congregation B’nai Tikvah
Board of Rabbis of Princeton-Mercer-Bucks
Rabbinical Leadership of West-Central NJ (District 12 only)
