ZOA chief Morton Klein
ZOA chief Morton KleinHezki Baruch

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) president Morton A Klein released a statement condemning the Anti-Degfamation League (ADL) for sympathizing with terrorists following the death of Hamas rioters by the Gaza border last Monday

"it is a horrific tragedy that so many people have been killed and wounded at the Gaza border." said ADL President Jonathan Greenblatt.

ZOA President Morton Klein criticized the ADL statement for failing to distinguish between the minority of the fatalities who were innocent victims and the vast majority who were members of terrorist organizations.

"We must ask, how is the death of mostly Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists a “horrific tragedy?” In fact, the deaths of these terrorists prevented a real “horrific tragedy” – the murder of thousands of innocent Jews who would have been slain if Hamas’ violent rioters had succeeded," Klein wrote.

He noted that even Hamas admitted that 50 of the 62 people who were killed during the riots were members of the terrorist organization which rules the Gaza Strip and that the goals of Hamas were to break through the border and overrun Israeli towns nearby.

"Thousands of innocent Israelis who live near the Gaza border – as well as those living further away – are in danger of being slaughtered if Hamas succeeds," Klein said.

"Thus, it is deeply disturbing that ADL and some Jews and others have been mourning these terrorists’ fatalities." he added.

"Such sympathetic proclamations only encourage more Hamas terror against Jews. Such proclamations also encourage the media to distort the truth of the Hamas war against the Jewish State.

"US Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vt) like ADL’s Greenblatt, also mourned the “tragedy” of persons in Gaza (who were mostly in fact Hamas terrorists) being killed. Sanders proclaimed: “The killing of Palestinian demonstrators by Israel forces in Gaza is tragic.” Does Sanders really not understand that these were not peaceful demonstrators? Does he really not understand that it was Hamas terrorists who were killed while trying to invade Israel and murder Jews?

He concluded: "It is a disgrace to call Hamas terrorists’ deaths a “horrific tragedy.” It is a disgrace to hold moments of silence, say the mourners’ Kaddish for, or mourn the deaths of Hamas terrorists who were killed while trying to invade and destroy Israel and murder her people."