FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 11, 2019
Reform Jewish Movement Responds to Removal of U.S. Troops at Turkish-Syrian Border
WASHINGTON – In response to President Trump’s sudden withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Turkish-Syrian border, Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, released the following statement on behalf of the Union for Reform Judaism, the Central Conference on American Rabbis and the wider Reform Movement institutions:
“The humanitarian crisis triggered by President Trump’s sudden withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Turkish-Syrian border is senseless, painful, and must end. For years, the Kurdish people in the region have worked closely with U.S. forces to oppose ISIS. Now, their suffering has captured the world’s attention as they are subjected to a Turkish military assault that violates basic human rights and dignity and threatens to further destabilize a region already ravaged by violence. The United States’ complicity in this loss of life and devastation is shameful.
“The Jewish people know the peril of being abandoned by the international community. And the ancient words of Leviticus demand that we not stand idly by as our neighbor bleeds. We will not be silent as the administration forsakes the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians.
“We call on President Trump to act immediately to end Turkey’s assault and ensure the safety of Kurdish civilians in northeastern Syria.”
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The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism is the Washington office of the Union for Reform Judaism, whose nearly 850 congregations across North America encompass 1.5 million Reform Jews, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, whose membership includes more than 2,000 Reform rabbis. Visit www.rac.org for more.
