ATLANTA — After the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by the Israeli military, many around the world and in metro Atlanta are reacting.
“The fact that he has been eliminated is really a powerful statement for the state of Israel and the Jewish people,” said Southeast Regional Director of the American Jewish Committee Dov Wilker.
Israelis held Sinwar responsible for the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attacks on their country.
“This evil man who destroyed so many lives in Israel and Palestinian lives in the Gaza strip is no longer with us,” Wilker told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington.
On Friday, Wilker explained whether he saw the death of Sinwar as a possible inflection point in the growing conflict.
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“This should help expedite the end of the war and release of the hostages,” Wilker said.
Before Sinwar’s death, Washington spoke with Christian Palestinian and attorney Musa Ghanayem.
She asked him what a peaceful situation would look like for him and other Palestinians.
“Let’s start with stopping the islamophobia and treating Arab Americans and Palestinian lives equal to the lives of other people,” Ghanayem said. “A two-state solution on the 67 borders with assisting on the peace process.”
In a statement Thursday, President Joe Biden reacted to Sinwar’s death and said: “This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world.”