U.S. Rabbis Call for Independent Investigation into Alleged IDF Abuses
U.S. rabbis have called on Israel’s attorney general to open an independent investigation into alleged abuses by the IDF in Gaza.
Rabbis for Human Rights-North America joined 10 Israeli human rights organizations Friday in calling for the investigation of Israeli soldiers’ actions during Israel’s military operation in Gaza, Operation Cast Lead.
“While Rabbis for Human Rights appreciates the army’s internal investigation into these allegations, we support our colleagues’ belief that an independent investigation is the only way to clear Israel’s name and to determine the veracity of the allegations,” a news release stated.
The organization called for allegations of human rights violation, the use of white phosphorus gas and the number of civilians killed all to be independently investigated.
The release continued: “Israel and the IDF have heretofore been proud of holding its soldiers to the highest ethical standards when engaged in armed conflict. Any suggestion of behavior contrary to those standards ought to be investigated by the civil government for the sake of the nation’s moral stature. Failure to do so could well be interpreted as an admission of guilt and would undermine the values of civil society within a democracy.”
It’s our birthday and we’re still celebrating!
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news.
This week we celebrate 129 years of the Forward. We’re proud of our origins as a Yiddish print publication serving Jewish immigrants. And we’re just as proud of what we’ve become today: A trusted source of Jewish news and opinion, available digitally to anyone in the world without paywalls or subscriptions.
We’ve helped five generations of American Jews make sense of the news and the world around them — and we aren’t slowing down any time soon.
As a nonprofit newsroom, reader donations make it possible for us to do this work. Support independent, agenda-free Jewish journalism and our board will match your gift in honor of our birthday!
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
