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SALT LAKE CITY — State leaders met with a consul general of Israel on Tuesday in Salt Lake City, condemning the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas and decrying antisemitism in the state and around the world.
Gov. Spencer Cox and first lady Abby Cox hosted Israel Bachar, consul general of Israel to the Pacific Southwest, in the Gold Room at the Capitol, where the governor discussed Utah's economic ties with Israel and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
"Our state has enjoyed a long and productive relationship with Israel and our hearts ache to see the region now engulfed in conflict," Cox said. "We continue to condemn the unspeakable horror unleashed by Hamas' terrorist attack on Israeli civilians on Oct. 7. We stand with our Jewish community by insisting that there is absolutely no place for antisemitism in our state or anywhere in the world. We mourn both the Israeli and Palestinian civilians who have lost their lives since the outbreak of the violence, and we pray for a quick resolution of the conflict."
Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, and House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, also met with Bachar, and released a joint statement in support of Israel, which they referred to as "our strongest democratic ally in the Middle East."
"In the strongest terms, we support Israel in this battle and denounce Hamas' appalling acts of terrorism and barbarism. We continue to press for the release of all hostages held by Hamas — including our fellow American citizens," the statement read. "Today, we call for the condemnation of Hamas' horrific acts of physical and sexual violence against Israelis. We denounce and hold Hamas responsible for the Gazan casualties caused by Hamas' reprehensible use of Gazans as human shields."
They're not the only Utah politicians who have placed blame on Hamas for casualties since Israel launched an attack against the Gaza Strip with the aim of eliminating Hamas leadership. Utah Sen. Mitt Romney visited Tel Aviv, Israel in October and said the lives lost "are all the result of Hamas."
The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the enclave has surpassed 15,000. About 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, were killed in the Oct. 7 attacks.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Israel to show support for the nation.
FBI Director Christopher Wray told a Senate committee in October that he expects the Israel-Hamas war could lead to increased terror threats against the United States, noting that 60% of all religious-based hate crimes are antisemitic.
Bomb threats disrupted annual celebrations of Simchat Torah at several Utah synagogues in the days following Oct. 7.
In their statement, Adams and Schultz said Hamas' actions "against innocent children, women and the elderly — both Israeli and Palestinian" — show that the Israel-Hamas war is "clearly a fight of good and evil."
"We grieve for the many men, women and children who have lost their lives in this conflict and pray for peace in the region," the statement said. "We urge our fellow Utahns to stand united against hatred and antisemitism."
