Twenty-seven prominent Jewish-American leaders who formerly served as heads of major U.S. Jewish community organizations have sent a letter to President Biden pressing him “to pursue a post-war peace initiative that establishes a path to end Israeli governance of Gaza and the West Bank,” leading Israeli daily Haaretz reported Dec. 18. According to the Washington Post, whose report includes a link to the letter, it was dated on Dec. 14 and includes the names of all 27 signers.
Haaretz advises its readers that “the letter captures the rapidly evolving thinking among the U.S. Jewish center, which is increasingly focused on post-war Gaza and recognizing that the pre-October 7 status quo and the current state of war is no longer sustainable.”
The five signers named by Haaretz are, indeed, prominent figures, including former AIPAC Executive Director Tom Dine, longtime former CEO of UJA-Federation of New York Dr. John Ruskay, former Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations chairman Alan Solow, former Jewish Communal Fund President Karen Adler and former Israel Policy Forum chairwoman Susie Gelman.
The letter thanks Biden for his support for Israel’s defense after Oct. 7, and adds: “Hamas must be defeated and doing so requires continued robust US support. But victory will not
come on the battlefield alone. Hamas will only be truly defeated when Palestinians have hope
for the future. American leadership is crucial for this as well.”
They propose that Biden take five measures:
“• Articulating the steadfast U.S. commitment to the pursuit of two states for two peoples,
and plans for bringing it about, so that Palestinians and Israelis can both live with peace
and security, before time runs out.
“• Receiving a commitment for a settlement freeze along with assurances from Israel for
the enforcement of rule of law in the West Bank, including the dismantling of illegal
