MEMBERS of the board of the largest Jewish representative body in the UK have broken ranks to condemn the “most extremist of Israeli governments” for its actions in Palestine.
Thirty-six board members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews penned a letter to the Financial Times on Wednesday calling out Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for a “provocative partisan populism [that] is bitterly dividing Israeli society”.
The Times reported that the signatories had urged the Board of Deputies as a whole to publish a statement after Israel breached the ceasefire in Gaza, but it was unwilling to publicly speak out against Netanyahu’s actions.
Instead, the 36 said in their letter in the FT: “The inclination to avert our eyes is strong, as what is happening is unbearable, but our Jewish values compel us to stand up and to speak out.
“This is what we see: the last 18 months of heartbreaking war have shown us that the most successful way of bringing the hostages home and creating a lasting peace is through diplomacy. By the end of the first phase of the second ceasefire and hostage release deal, 135 hostages had been released through negotiation, just eight by military action, with at least three tragically killed by the Israel Defense Forces.
“America, Qatar, and Egypt again stood as guarantors of the release of all remaining hostages in the second phase of this deal, in return for Israel withdrawing from the Gaza Strip. A strong plan for the reconstruction of Gaza was approved and supported by the international community, to be managed by a Palestinian leadership, which would be a viable alternative to Hamas, financed by the Arab League.
“At that moment, the Israeli government instead chose to break the ceasefire and return to war in Gaza with the ‘Itamar offensive’, so-called as it was Itamar Ben-Gvir’s condition for returning to the coalition, thus enabling the Israeli government’s budget to be passed within the tight deadline needed to avoid an election.
“Such incidents are too painful and shocking to take in, but we know in our hearts we cannot turn a blind eye or remain silent at this renewed loss of life and livelihoods, with hopes dwindling for a peaceful reconciliation and the return of the hostages.
“This most extremist of Israeli governments is openly encouraging violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, strangling the Palestinian economy and building more new settlements than ever.
“This extremism also targets Israeli democracy, with the independence of the judicial system again under fierce attack, the police increasingly resembling a militia and repressive laws are being advanced as provocative partisan populism is bitterly dividing Israeli society.
“Israel’s soul is being ripped out and we, members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, fear for the future of the Israel we love and have such close ties to.”
Harriett Goldenberg, one of the letter’s signatories who chairs the Board of Deputies’s international division, told The Times there had long been a “reluctance” to criticise the Israeli government among Jewish people in Britain.
However, she added: “At some point, though, a line is crossed, and here we are.
“As Jews, we need to speak out: no more, not in our name. We can and do support Israel and Israelis but not this extremist Israeli government.”
The Board of Deputies said it recognised that around 10% of its members had signed the letter “and potentially others would associate themselves [with it]”.
It went on: “Others would no doubt put more emphasis on the fundamental responsibility of Hamas for this ghastly situation and the need to ensure that they are prevented from ever repeating the heinous crimes of October 7.
“This diversity is not unlike the politics of Israel itself, whose rambunctious democratic culture sees a fierce exchange of views about these excruciating life-and-death issues.”
The International Court of Justice ruled last year that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian West Bank is illegal, yet settlement is only ramping up.
US president Donald Trump has given his backing to the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, a war crime which Netanyahu has supported.
Israel has begun carving up Gaza, claiming territory which it has called “security zones”.
Israel is reported to have killed more than 1500 Palestinians since breaching the ceasefire on March 18.
In total since October 7, 2023 – when Hamas killed some 1200 Israelis in an attack launched from Gaza – more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed.
