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ADL Welcomes Ceasefire in Hostilities Between Israel and Hamas

NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire of the hostilities in Gaza brokered by the U.S. and Egypt. The announcement was made this afternoon in Cairo by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Egyptian Foreign Minister Kamel Amr .

Abraham H. Foxman , ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

We welcome the announcement of a ceasefire and hope that it will result in a night without sirens and rockets and safe rooms for the 3.5 million Israelis living under threat of Hamas attack and provide Israel with an end to the nightmare of terror it has been living with.

Since the start of Operation Pillar of Defense, Israel has been willing to stop its targeting of rocket launchers, weapons storehouses and Hamas and other terrorist operation centers so long as the rockets and missiles stop being fired into Israel. Assuming the quiet achieved today continues, effective long-lasting measures supported by the international community must be put in place to stop the flow of weaponry into Gaza, particularly the long-range missiles supplied by Iran.

We extend our deep appreciation to President Obama and Secretary Clinton for their steadfast support of Israel during this difficult period and for their constructive efforts to reach a cease fire. The constructive participation of the Egyptian government both behind the scenes and actively in the negotiations leading to the cease fire announcement was crucial to the outcome. Because the most lethal weapons used to attack Israel enter Gaza through tunnels on the Egyptian side of the border with Gaza, Egypt must continue to play its important role in advancing the prospects for a permanent end to the rocket attacks on Israel by assuring that terrorists cannot use those tunnels.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.

SOURCE Anti-Defamation League