On Saturday night, Israel announced that it had detected a significant number of attack drones launched from Iran aimed at its territory. This incident marks the first direct assault on Israel by the Islamic Republic, which previously attacked Israel only via proxies like the terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard confirmed, saying they had launched not only drones but missiles at targets in Israel. Yemen’s Houthi terrorist group, also a proxy of Iran, launched additional drones toward Israel while Hezbollah makes rocket strikes on northern Israel.
A coalition, reportedly made up of Israel, the U.S., United Kingdom, Jordan, France, and Cyprus defended Israel against the attack. In the day since the attack started, local and national organizations released statements of support for Israel:
Joint statement from JCRC, Minneapolis and St. Paul Jewish Federations
Unprecedented Iranian attack reminds us that this is an existential war that Israel must and will win
As always, our Jewish community stands with the people of Israel and prays for their safety. The unprecedented aggression of the Islamic Republic of Iran firing over 300 cruise and ballistic missiles and armed drones toward Israel is reprehensible. It is rightly being condemned throughout the world.
We are immensely proud and grateful that 99% of those projectiles were destroyed before hitting their targets, thanks to the tremendous skill of the Israeli Defense Forces and the support of the American, British, French, and Jordanian armed forces. We note with great pride the service of members of the Minnesota National Guard who are stationed in Jordan and Kuwait.
Thank you to former State Senator Paul Anderson, who is in Israel on a solidarity mission and offered these words, ‘[w]hile last night was a sobering experience in Jerusalem, it has been amazing to see the resiliency of the Israeli people. To witness firsthand the strong partnership between America, the United Kingdom, and Jordan come together to repel the attacks of Iran. If there was any doubt prior to last night, there must be no daylight between the U.S. and Israel.’
We agree. If not for their collective heroism and cooperation, the devastation initiated by Iran would be unfathomable.
We ask that everyone pray for the swift and full recovery of Amina al-Hassouni. Amina is a seven-year-old Bedouin girl critically injured after shrapnel from an intercepted Iranian projectile pierced her skull. We also continue to pray for the well-being and return of all hostages held by Hamas who continue to languish in the cruelest imaginable captivity. Bring them home now!
We share the emotional and psychological trauma suffered by the entire population of Israel. We are heartbroken by the numerous first-hand accounts we have received from dear friends – Jews, Christians, and Muslims – who huddled together in stairways as explosions burst over the night skies above Jerusalem, over even the Temple Mount. Six months after October 7, the worst single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, the people of Israel need our support now more than ever.
Overnight, Iran reminded the world, including many here at home, of something many too quickly forgot over the past six months: this terrible war has always been a war that Israel did not start and did not want. A war that could end as soon as all of the hostages are released and Hamas’ leadership, either through surrender or exile, is no longer able to repeat the October 7 massacre “again and again” as they’ve promised to do.
Iran also made it clear that this war has never been a limited border dispute between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors. Rather it is a much broader conflict between the one Jewish State in the world and a powerful coalition led by Iran and its proxies—Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Houthi rebels, Iraqi militias, and their supporters here at home—which see it as their fanatical obligation to destroy Israel.
With the support of the United States and our allies—we thank President Joe Biden and his administration for their “ironclad commitment” to Israel’s security—this is an existential war for Israel’s survival that Israel must and will win.
Am Yisrael Chai, the people of Israel live.
Joint statement of JFNA, ADL, SCN, and others
In light of the rapidly escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, The Jewish Federations of North America, Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Secure Community Network (SCN), Community Security Service (CSS), Orthodox Union (OU), and the Community Security Initiative of New York (CSI-NY) issued the following statement:
“We are deeply concerned by the serious escalation in attacks targeting Israel by Iran and its terrorist proxies across the Middle East, and the implications of this reality for the ability of the Jewish community to gather free from antisemitism, safely, and securely. Iran and its proxies – from Hamas to Hezbollah, and those individuals they seek to inspire – are united in their effort to destroy Israel, the Jewish people, and the United States. This reality requires that our community work together, in partnership with key allies, to prepare and protect our community.
Our organizations are coordinating in an unprecedented manner to do exactly that. Together, we have undertaken efforts to educate lawmakers and raise awareness amongst educators about the impacts of the current conflict on Jewish communities and students. Our organizations have created spaces and forums for the community to gather, tracked and assessed acts of hate, intimidation, harassment, and violence facing our community, and offered recommendations on protecting our facilities and organizations. The enemies of Israel and the Jewish people must understand that they will not frighten or intimidate us.
In the last 24 hours this coordination has involved working together to support partners and organizations across both North America and Israel, sharing relevant information on current events and domestic issues, as well coordinating to ensure our community may come together safely and securely. The security experts operating within the Jewish community continue to recommend that facilities remain open and operational, absent direct, specific information from law enforcement otherwise.
The story of the Jewish people is a story of resilience, and we shall emerge, too, from this moment as an even stronger, prouder people.”
