NEW YORK- The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) strongly supports Israel’s policy of striking at Palestinian Arab mass murderers, even if the killers try to hide in civilian areas.

Hamas terrorist leader Salah Shehade was eliminated in an Israeli anti-terror operation in Gaza on July 23, 2002. A number of civilians were inadvertently harmed in the operation. Hamas is regarded by both the United States and the European Union as an international terrorist group because of its murders of hundreds of Israelis and Americans. Shehade himself personally masterminded dozens of those attacks.

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said: “The Palestinian Authority bears full moral and legal responsibility for any harm to Arab civilians that occurs during Israeli anti-terrorism actions. It is the PA which permits Hamas terrorists to operate in civilian areas and to use civilians and their homes as human shields.”

A Luntz poll in August 2001 found 73% of Americans believe Israel is “justified” in “attempting to kill” a terrorist when “Israel has proof that a terrorist is planning a suicide bomb or other act of terrorism that is likely to result in the death of Israelis.”

The ZOA notes that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on July 22, 2002 (in reference to reports that as many as 400 Afghani civilians have been killed during recent U.S. actions against terrorists in Afghanistan): “It’s an unfortunate fact of war that, inevitably, innocent civilians are killed. This has been true, true throughout the history of warfare, and it remains true even in this age of advanced technology and precision-guided munitions.” (New York Times, July 23, 2002)