In a public show of solidarity, more than 410 senior lawyers from leading law firms in the US and UK, including Allen & Overy LLP, Clifford Chance LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, have condemned the attacks of Hamas against civilians in Israel. The signatories urge their colleagues to also denounce acts of terrorism against Israel and Jews. The lawyers highlight Israel’s right to self-defense while denouncing “the unspeakable acts of mass terror perpetrated by Hamas”.
Notable signatories include Andrew Besser of CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP, Jeremy Levy from Baker McKenzie, and Paul T. Friedman from Morrison Foerster LLP based in London. New York-based lawyers like Kfir Abutbul, Adam Chernichaw, Todd Koretzky from Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance’s regional managing partner for the Americas, Evan Cohen, also put their names to the letter.
Expressing their anguish over the attacks, they state “We are shocked and horrified by the ghastly barbarism carried out against innocent civilians. We are angered by the cowardly crimes against humanity committed and the massive scale on which they were perpetrated.” This reaction followed a surprise attack by Hamas from the Gaza Strip on Israeli territory, with over 1,300 Israelis and a similar number of Palestinians being killed.
The signatories also reaffirmed their commitment to peace, the security of all people, and Israel’s right to defend itself. They emphasized the need for moral consistency in the face of indifference or hostility towards Jewish suffering. They concluded by urging their peers in the legal profession to join them in denouncing global terrorism against Israel and Jews. Professional organizations like the Law Society of England and Wales and the Bar Council, however, declined to comment on the issue.
The condemnation of Hamas terrorism by lawyers and attorneys from the UK and the US follows an open letter sent on Wednesday to the Office of Communications, UK’s communications watchdog, by four leading English King’s Counsel. They criticized the British Broadcasting Corporation for refusing to call Hamas terrorists.
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