By Sunayana Prabhu
MIDDLETOWN – A delegation of legislators, school superintendents, principals and community leaders from across New Jersey visited Israel this week to foster an understanding of war-torn communities. Middletown Mayor Tony Perry was among those on the three-day visit to Israel.
Speaking on a Zoom call with The Two River Times from a makeshift memorial site in Tel Aviv, Perry described the wall behind him covered with photographs and posters of nearly 130 people, “both Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs that are currently being held hostage in Gaza,” he said.
On Jan. 23, roughly 48 hours after landing in Tel Aviv, Perry was into the second day of his first international delegation visit, nearly 6,000 miles away from his constituency in Middletown. “The understanding of what is happening here on the ground is impossible to get in the column inches that are dedicated to the stories,” he said by way of explaining why he went on the trip.
Jan. 14 marked 100 days since Hamas-led militant groups attacked Israeli towns along the border with Gaza, killing around 1,200 Israelis and taking an additional number hostage. While a little over 100 hostages have been released, about 130 are still being held captive by Hamas.
Since the attack, Israel has retaliated with a military campaign against the coastal enclave of Gaza which has displaced nearly 2 million civilians. The Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported that more than 25,000 of its citizens have been killed and more than 58,000 injured since Israel began its war against the territory.
Amid one of the greatest humanitarian crises in the world, Perry expressed a “shared grief” as mayor of a town that lost 37 residents in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Perry said the reality on the ground in Israel is “sad” and also “humbling.”
Seeing “how the Israeli people – whether they are Arab or Jewish, or anywhere in between – how they are responding to this incident and this tragedy, is just remarkable.”
New Jersey is home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the nation. Perry said his visit was partly to show support for Israel, as well as for his Jewish neighbors in Middletown and the state.
The delegation visited Israel with the help of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ but Perry said no taxpayer dollars were used for his trip. According to the Federation’s website, the cost of the “Solidarity Mission” was $3,100.
“I paid for myself. It’s not a taxpayer-funded trip. It’s not sponsored by anyone financially,” he said, clarifying that his objective, in addition to representing his Jewish constituents, was to represent the town, the largest in Monmouth County.
“Middletown is always going to have a big voice in public policy,” he said.
In a statement on the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ website, Linda Scherzer, the director of community relations for the Jewish Community Relations Council, called the tour a “fact-finding trip.”
“Our goal is to enable participants to gain a deeper understanding of the nuances of the current situation in Israel that will empower them (to) navigate tensions at home and to see (the) Federation as a trusted resource as they con- front related conflicts,” Scherzer said in a blog post.
But some groups advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza, like Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, have called this a “propaganda trip” sponsored by the Federation and the Israeli government. Prior to the delegation’s departure, these organizations urged elected officials to back out of the trip.
In an open letter posted on the Northern New Jersey Jewish Voice for Peace (NNJJVP) website to the New Jersey Legislature, the NNJJVP, the Central New Jersey JVP and IfNotNow Highland Park Circle, called the trip “ ‘public diplomacy’ ” rather than any sincere attempt to inform.” “We ask you to consider that this trip will not be a genuine fact-finding mission, but rather a trip designed to expose you to an entirely one-sided view of the situation in an effort to try to whitewash Israel’s current actions in Gaza,” the letter states.
“We urge you to decline this invitation and stay home, and do some real fact-finding, including holding listening sessions with your constituents in New Jersey, a large majority of whom, based on national polling, support a ceasefire,” it continues.
One of the first stops on the three-day visit was to Kibbutz Kfar Aza, a historic 70-year-old agricultural community on the Gaza border, targeted by Hamas in October. The assault claimed the lives of over 60 kibbutz members, including children, and resulted in the kidnapping of 17 individuals. Four of them remain hostages in Gaza.
The delegation’s journey included a significant stop in Ofakim, located approximately 18 miles east of Gaza. This small city is known for its residents’ courageous defense against Hamas. During their visit, the delegates paid their respects to Ofakim families whose loved ones died in the attack. They also met with key local figures, including Ofakim’s Mayor Yitzhak Danino, to discuss the community’s resilience and ongoing recovery efforts.
On behalf of the residents of Middletown, Perry presented Danino with an American flag that flew over town hall in honor of those residents of Israel who died Oct. 7.
Perry, along with New Jersey assemblymen Michael Inganamort (R-24), Paul Kanitra (R-10) and Greg Myhre (R-9), also delivered letters from local students to their Muslim and Jewish peers at the Hand in Hand School in Jerusalem to foster cultural exchange and understanding among the students.
They engaged with local volunteer organizations that are leading relief efforts near the Gaza border. Their visit also included a stop at the Hadassah Hospital, where they interacted with patients affected by the conflict.
The itinerary included intergovernmental meetings with Knesset members, Israel’s legislative body, as well as discussions with community representatives, leaders of nonprofit organizations, Israeli Defense Forces soldiers, family members impacted by the Hamas attacks and various local officials.
“I’ve had five hours of sleep in 48 hours,” Perry said, but insisted he wasn’t complaining. “We dedicated that amount of time to maximize every moment we could learning, understanding and just being better citizens of our country, and citizens of the world.”
The article originally appeared in the January 25 – January 31, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
