SAN FRANCISCO - March 22 - Jewish Voice for Peace, the largest Jewish peace group of its kind in the United States, earlier today criticized the Israeli government for its assassination of Hamas' spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.

Yassin, one of the founders of Hamas, was killed by an Israeli missile attack. Palestinian reaction has been strong, and leaders of Hamas and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades as well as others have made threats of escalated violence against Israelis. Israeli opposition leader Yossi Beilin said, "Pandora's box has been opened...the question is how many Israelis will be killed." Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia called this a "crazy, dangerous and cowardly act."

"Ariel Sharon has once again put Israeli lives in peril with an act that is sure to escalate the violence in this conflict," said Mitchell Plitnick, co-director of Jewish Voice for Peace. "Sharon is well aware that this action will not hurt Hamas, an organization with a de-centralized leadership structure. On the contrary, this will strengthen them. This attack has already provoked enormous sympathy for Hamas among the Palestinian population. This puts Israelis in even more danger. These extra-judicial killings are crimes against international law. They bring no one closer to peace or security and only strengthen the forces of violence."

Jewish Voice for Peace calls for international intervention to stem the tide of violence and for negotiations for a full Israeli withdrawal from all territories occupied in 1967 to begin under international direction immediately.

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