Hundreds of prominent Jews call for sanctions on Israel
An open letter signed by 450 Jewish figures urges the UN and world leaders to hold Israel accountable for its actions in Gaza
Hundreds of prominent Jewish figures across the world have called on the UN and global leaders to impose sanctions on Israel over what they describe as “unconscionable” actions in Gaza that they say amount to genocide.
An open letter urging governments to hold Israel accountable for alleged violations of international law in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem garnered more than 450 signatories, including former Israeli officials, intellectuals, and artists. The letter coincides with reports that EU leaders may abandon plans to introduce sanctions against Israel during a summit in Brussels on Thursday.
“We have not forgotten that so many of the laws, charters, and conventions established to safeguard and protect all human life were created in response to the Holocaust,” the signatories wrote. “Those safeguards have been relentlessly violated by Israel.”
The appeal includes former Knesset speaker Avraham Burg, Israeli peace negotiator Daniel Levy, authors Michael Rosen and Naomi Klein, Oscar-winning filmmaker Jonathan Glazer, actors Wallace Shawn and Ilana Glazer, and philosopher Omri Boehm. The group has urged world leaders to enforce International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court rulings, halt arms sales, and impose targeted sanctions on Israeli officials and entities complicit in alleged crimes.
The petition follows a shift in public opinion among American Jews and voters more broadly. A recent poll by the Washington Post found that 61% of US Jews believe Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza, and 39% say it is committing genocide. A separate Quinnipiac survey in August found that half of US voters hold the same view.
Israel launched its military operation in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack in which 1,200 people were killed and 250 others were taken hostage in October 2023. The scale of the Israeli response has elicited widespread condemnation and has prompted a wave of support for the Palestinian people.
Gaza’s Health Ministry has reported at least 68,000 Palestinians killed and more than 170,000 injured over the past two years. The UN has estimated that around 90% of Gaza’s residents have been internally displaced.
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