Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
Fast Forward

Jewish liberal groups urge Biden to stop eviction of Palestinians from their homes in villages near Hebron

The letter echoes one sent to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken signed by 81 members of Congress in May

Prominent liberal Jewish groups sent a letter to President Joe Biden ahead of his visit to Israel this week, urging him to intervene to stop Israel’s eviction of some 1,000 Palestinians from their homes in Masafer Yatta, an area of Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank.

It includes 12 villages in southern Hebron Hills that Israel’s High Court approved for a large-scale transfer and demolition after a 22-year legal battle to repurpose the land for an army firing range. The demolition of some homes in the area has already begun.

“We ask you to raise this issue and make clear the United States’ firm opposition to such displacement in your upcoming trip to Israel,” the letter reads.

It is signed by the Union for Reform Judaism, New Israel Fund, Reconstructing Judaism, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, Ameinu, T’ruah, Americans for Peace Now, Habonim Dror North America, Hashomer Hatzair USA, Israel Policy Forum, the Jewish Labor Committee, J Street, the National Council of Jewish Women, Partners for Progressive Israel and New York Jewish Agenda. 

The letter echoes one sent to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken by 83 members of Congress in May. Dozens of senators and representatives then wrote to Blinken: “This relocation of Palestinian families from homes they have lived on for generations could spark violence, is in direct violation of international humanitarian law, and could further undermine efforts to reach a two-state solution.”

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.