“Imagine if North Korea suddenly invaded South Korea, massacred civilians and fired rockets.”
Ted Deutsch, chairman of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), met with the Dong-A Ilbo at a hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 2nd and compared the invasion of Israel by the Palestinian armed group Hamas on October 7 last year like this. He said, “Wouldn’t the Korean people naturally demand a strong response from the government?” and added, “The Gaza war is also an action taken by Israel to defend itself against attacks by a terrorist group (Hamas) whose goal is to exterminate Jews.”
Chairman Deutsch, who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 12 years, took office in 2022 as the head of AJC, an American Jewish rights advocacy organization founded in 1906. He also explained, “North Korea has something in common with Hamas in that it receives support from Iran,” and “AJC has been at the forefront of focusing attention on human rights violations in North Korea at the United Nations.”
In response to public criticism of Israel’s hard-line response and prolonging the war, Chairman Deutsch said, “It is true that the U.S. policy of supporting Israel does not receive overwhelming support,” but added, “The end of Hamas will lead to peace in the Middle East (even in the November presidential election).” “It will be helpful to the Eden administration,” he emphasized. Regarding the ‘war solution’ being discussed by the international community, he said, “Efforts are needed to ensure that threats to Israel are prevented.”
He strongly criticized the recent increase in anti-Semitism in the United States and the emergence of voices supporting Hamas, calling it “a dangerous conspiracy theory and an act of support for terrorism.” Chairman Deutsch said, “We also mourn the sacrifice of innocent civilians in Palestine,” and added, “Hamas used billions of dollars in support for terrorism, using even those they were supposed to protect as human shields.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.