J Street Statement on the Assassination of Hassan Nasrallah
Sunday, September 29
Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group Hezbollah bear responsibility for decades of violence, terror and bloodshed that have destabilized Lebanon, terrorized Israel and the region and resulted in the deaths of thousands, including hundreds of Americans.
J Street sheds no tears for Nasrallah or the deaths of other terrorists.
Israel has the right to defend itself in accordance with international law – and we remember that it was Hezbollah that chose to start firing on Israelis without provocation on October 8.
Nonetheless, we are deeply concerned that the continuing spiral of violence and bloodshed only means greater insecurity and further threatens Israelis, Palestinians, Lebanese and their neighbors – as well as US forces deployed in the region.
We share the strong sentiments expressed by President Biden, Vice President Harris and leaders across the region and globe that the focus now must be on ensuring that the present violence does not escalate into a broader regional war that could potentially pull US troops into conflict. We are also deeply distressed by news of significant civilian casualties in Lebanon over the past week.
We urge the US and its partners to double down on diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas in the south and to find a solution along the Israel-Lebanon border that allows people on both sides of that border to safely return home. As we have said, the Biden Administration must now use all possible leverage to pull the region back from the brink.
Diplomacy remains the best path forward, not just in the short-run to end the immediate fighting but in the longer term to ensure security and peace for all the people of the region.
