Support Israel - What Is Happening?

Who is Israel targeting?

To the north, Israel has launched missile attacks on points in Lebanon. The targets of the operation have been Hezbollah, and its infrastructure.

In Gaza, to the south-west, Israel has destroyed bridges, a power station and the Palestinian Foreign Affairs ministry in an attempt to halt Hamas rockets hitting Israel.

Why is Israel doing this?

Israel is defending its citizens. In Gaza, Hamas forms the Palestinian government and is a terrorist organisation. Hamas continues to fire Qassam rockets into Israel daily. Corporal Gilad Shalit was taken hostage and this acted as the impetus for Israel's recent operation in the Gaza.

Israel states the operation in Lebanon aims to destroy Hezbollah and apply pressure on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah. Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation that has positions in the south of Lebanon and regularly fires Katyusha rockets into Israeli communities. Most recently it captured two Israeli soldiers.

The fate of the missing soldiers is unknown. Their disappearance has had a deep psychological impact on Israelis.

The death of hundreds of Gazans & Lebanese civilians is unfortunate. These terror organisations hide in the civilian population, thus making it difficult for Israel to defend itself whilst avoiding civilian deaths. Israel has an undeniable responsibility to protect its citizens from terror.

Are Israel's actions appropriate?

Israel is defending itself from terrorists who believe it has no right to exist. Whether you believe that Israel's actions are appropriate in achieving this goal is your decision to make. AUJS encourages you to be well informed at all times.

Israel has an inalienable right to defend itself from those who wish to destroy it. We believe responsible people everywhere must recognise and promote this view.

Israel's actions and the international law perspective

The following articles are excellent resources that tackle the argument about legality and supposed disproportionality of Israel's response.

What are Jewish students doing?

As the representative Jewish student organisation, AUJS is at all times a strong defender of Israel, regardless of the political situation.

Jewish students are uniting to take a proactive fight in defending Israel against those who wish to delegitimise it. AUJS is plastering campuses across the country with posters, distributing information on campuses and running Israel Week in September. Israel Week highlights the wonderful and diverse nature of Israeli society.