The Coalition for Mutual Respect (CMR) was formed in 1995 by a diverse group of community leaders, including leadership of the ADL, prominent members of the greater Houston-Galveston-Beaumont community, and area clergy. The CMR’s leaders have succeeded in promoting reverence, inclusion, respect and love; speaking out with one voice against prejudice, bias and hate; and standing united and ready to embrace the community’s needs, especially in advancing social justice and the common good.

On October 7, the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas carried out an unprecedented surprise attack on the Jewish State of Israel. In an act of war, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, infiltrated cities and towns across Israel’s south, slaughtered thousands of men, women and children, kidnapped over 150 human beings as hostages and human shields, and fired thousands of rockets and missiles at cities across the country.

We send our condolences to the families of the murdered and our wishes for a speedy recovery to those who are wounded and traumatized.  Israel has every right to defend itself from acts of war and terrorism. We stand united with Israel.

Learn More: https://www.adl.org/stand-with-israel

As U.S. President Joseph R. Biden said during his remarks on October 10, 2023:

[T]he terrorist attacks in Israel have brought to the surface painful memories and the scars left by . . . millennia of antisemitism and genocide of the Jewish people.

So, in this moment, we must be crystal clear: We stand with Israel. And we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself, and respond to this attack.

Quotation provided by Shelley Greenspan, White House Jewish Liaison

We are mindful that no words can adequately comfort all those who suffer, and all those who will suffer, due to the atrocities, acts of barbarity, and inhuman cruelty perpetrated by Hamas terrorists against Israelis and others, including Americans − for no reason other than that they are Jews. Nothing justifies the massacres that took place.

In solidarity with those suffering in the wake of this evil, we extend an embrace to our Jewish brothers and sisters around the world and especially in Israel, hoping that they can, in time, have a canopy of peace spread over them. For decades, the hate-fueled Hamas leaders have utterly failed to pursue peace or the well-being of the Palestinian people, but have instead dedicated their resources to plotting and carrying out the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people.  We further pray that innocent Palestinians will not be made to suffer or pay with their lives, and we recognize that the suffering of the Palestinian people is due to the actions of Hamas, including using the residents of Gaza, both Muslims and Christians, as well as the hostages that were just captured in Israel, as human shields.

Finally, we join in multi-faith prayer on behalf of all those missing, wounded, traumatized, and murdered, to pledge the full support of our Coalition for Mutual Respect to work toward the welfare and safety of the good people of Israel and the region who yearn for justice and peace.

We Stand with the Jewish People and Israel