Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - With the Israel-Hamas conflict raging, the President of the Buffalo Jewish Federation tells WBEN ties are tight between Western New York and Israel. He says he's pleased to see support for Israel in its fight against Hamas, but warns there is misinformation about who Israel is fighting.
Rob Goldberg says there are two degrees of separation in Israel. "Everyone knows someone who knows someone, and everyone's been affected by the horrible tragedy of October 7, then the subsequent war that is now going on with Hamas between the Israel Defense Forces," says Goldberg. He adds there are many ties to Western New York. "So many people here in the Jewish community have family members who live throughout Israel, students who have studying or are studying there now. So it's not uncommon to have those connection," adds Goldberg.
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Shortly after the attack by Hamas, Goldberg says the federation mobilized to have a gathering, held last Monday evening at the Jewish Community Center in Getzville. "We said prayers, and we were really there to comfort each other, because it was such a shock to our systems in terms of what we were learning at that moment in time," says Goldberg. He adds the community's getting support from Albany. "We met with the governor, several of us in a in a private session on Sunday, and she has been a stalwart in terms of support for the State of Israel and for our community," says Goldberg, who's grateful for that.
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When it comes to information about the war, Goldberg recommends getting it from more than one source. "I think the issue for us is that there's a lot of misinformation that this is a war between Israel and the Palestinian people, or Gazans. That is just not the case. This is a war, a reaction in retaliation to the worst atrocity to befall the Jewish people since the end of World War II," notes Goldberg. He says there are 9 million Israelis, not all of whom are Jewish. "1,400 deaths is the equivalent to close to 55,000 Americans. Imagine if on Easter Sunday, 2000, militants from Southern Ontario came over the Peace Bridge and murdered 55,000 Christians who are in the church on Easter Sunday worshipping and praying to God, that's what happened to the Jewish people," says Goldberg.
Goldberg says this is a fight for Israel's survival.