On April 2 an open letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog signed by over 3,000 Jewish leaders from around the world calls on Israel to stop “attacks by Jewish extremists” on Palestinians in the West Bank. Signers include diplomats, philanthropists, rabbis and academics from Australia, Canada, Europe, South Africa, and the U.S. Since the Feb. 28 beginning of the Iran War, settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has surged, leaving at least seven Palestinians dead and many more driven from their homes. The violence has become so extreme that Israel was forced to divert troops from the war in Lebanon to the West Bank.
The letter states: “Mr. President, the terror, death and destruction inflicted by Jewish-Israeli extremists against innocent Palestinians across the West Bank is an abomination. It is not only morally shameful but a strategic threat to the future of Israel. It damages world Jewry and the relationship of future generations with Israel…. Sadly, based on events and on the statements of the most extreme coalition partners it can be concluded that the violence now engulfing the West Bank is not only condoned by the government but is in fact policy.”
Herzog’s office posted on X that “I share your conviction that these acts of violence stand in stark contradiction to the values upon which Israel was founded and to the enduring ethical tradition of the Jewish people.” Herzog added that these “shameful crimes against innocents” are interfering with the response to real terror threats.
The open letter was facilitated by the The London Initiative (TLI), which is considered to be a liberal Zionist organization.
