- Hamas has claimed responsibility for a widespread attack in Israel that has led to hundreds of deaths
- U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, condemned the attacks and has requested a classified briefing on the situation
- The violence comes during a Jewish holiday, which has limited the ability of some worshipers to receive news of the attack
SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — The Lehigh Valley's Jewish population reacted with horror Saturday as word emerged of widespread attacks by Hamas in Israel.
News reports indicated Hamas, a political organization in the West Bank that's widely regarded as a terrorist organization in the West, has taken responsibility for a surprise attack involving thousands of missiles and hundreds of fighters. The scale of that attack has allowed missiles to overwhelm Israel's vaunted Iron Dome defense system, and fighting is taking place in 22 locations, an Israeli spokesperson told the Associated Press Saturday.
The Israeli Emergency Services reports at least 70 Israelis are dead and more than 800 others injured as of Saturday afternoon. Israeli news broadcasts have reported that Palestinian fighters have gone house-to-house in some places taking hostages, according to CNN. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported 198 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,600 injured in Israel's retaliatory strikes against the territory.
"I mourn deeply for the civilians who are caught in the crosshairs of this kind of violence."U.S. Rep. Susan Wild
U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, condemned the attack and said she and other members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs have requested a classified briefing on the situation. She said it was disturbing that planners intentionally targeted Israeli civilians and willfully endangered Palestinians' lives; it was predictable that Israel would launch a counterattack.
"I mourn deeply for the civilians who are caught in the crosshairs of this kind of violence," she said.
It's common for members of the Lehigh Valley's Jewish community to make trips to Israel, making the attack feel deeply personal, said Aaron Gorodzinsky, director of campaign and security planning for the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. The chaos has led to the spread of misinformation, making it hard for people stateside to figure out how safe their friends and loved ones are in Israel. Because Israel has compulsory military services, many know their young relatives and friends will be rushing to the front lines.
"We're shocked. We're in disbelief," Gorodzinsky said.
Wild was in Israel as recently as February when she visited the southern kibbutz of Kfar Azza. Media reports out of Israel indicate it was the scene of heavy fighting, and she's heard unconfirmed reports that some of the people she met have been killed or wounded. She said many Americans have felt safe to travel to Israel previously because of its highly regarded security and intelligence forces. The surprise nature of the attack, however, has her deeply concerned.
"This just seems to be a colossal failure of intelligence," said Wild. "It is almost impossible to comprehend in 2023 this could have happened without Israel being aware."
Wild feared the violence has seriously damaged any prospect of a two-state solution for peace in the region, a plan she supports. She hoped the deteriorating situation abroad would not poison the ties between the Lehigh Valley's Jewish and Muslim populations.
"Those are two communities that have for the most part been unified and supportive of one another, and I hope we can continue in that here in the district," she said.
The timing and scale of the attacks led Gorodzinsky to compare it to the Yom Kippur War. Both military engagements involved surprise attacks during Jewish holidays when observant Jews put aside their electronics and are likely to be harder to contact, he said. The federation has debated internally whether to violate the Sabbath and send an alert to local Jewish communities, he said.
Antisemitic attacks in the United States have long prompted the federation to encourage local synagogues to take their safety seriously. Many have already acquired grants to hire private security and install cameras. Given those preparations, most places of worship won't need to take extra precautions, he said.
"We're not calling police now to say, 'Come to our services,'" he said. "We already have those relationships. We already have that security."
Neither Wild nor Gorodzinsky were aware of any district residents who had been killed or wounded in the attacks.
At Chabat of the Lehigh Valley, worshipers had gathered for their scheduled prayer services. Given the holiday, many were not aware of the full scope of the attack. During a brief interview, Rabbi Yaacov Halperin said he has a daughter and extended family in Israel now, but he is concerned about the safety of the entirety of the Jewish people.
"Only when people learn to love their children more than they hate their enemies will the world be a better place," Halperin said.
