(PHILADELPHIA, PA, 5/14/2018) – The Philadelphia Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Philadelphia) today condemned the Israeli massacre of dozens of Palestinian civilians protesting both the unilateral move of the US embassy to Jerusalem and the 70th anniversary of “The Nakba,” the expulsion by Israel of hundreds of thousands of Arabs out of Palestine during the 1948-49 Arab-Israeli war.
In a statement, CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Jacob Bender said: “This act of mass murder of civilian protesters — including children, medical personnel and the disabled — needs to be condemned by all those who profess to believe in justice and peace. Perhaps this tragic mass killing — played out in full view of the world’s media — will spark a new recognition that the plight of the Palestinian people living under Israel’s discriminatory and brutal occupation cannot be forever ignored by those seeking a negotiated settlement.”
It is CAIR’s position that moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem amounts to an unjust, unwise, and counterproductive giveaway of Palestinian and Muslim rights in Jerusalem that it deeply offends the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims, and eliminates any role the US might have as a neutral mediator in future negotiations to finally resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Jacob Bender, 267-515-6710, jbender@cair.com
