Dozens of members of UK’s largest Jewish group sign letter condemning war in Gaza

Protesters wave Israeli flags and hold photos of people held hostage by Hamas in Gaza during a demonstration outside the prime minister’s offices in London, Nov. 19, 2023. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)

(JTA) — Three dozen members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews have issued a public letter harshly criticizing Israel’s continued offensive in Gaza, revealing a divide within the largest British Jewish group.

The letter, which was published in the Financial Times, includes the signatures of roughly 10% of the board’s deputies, who are appointed from local communities and smaller organizations. It directly criticizes the resumption of the war in Gaza and warns that the “extremism” in the Israeli government threatens its democracy.

“We write as representatives of the British Jewish community, out of love for Israel and deep concern for its future,” the letter says. “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.”

The letter highlights the successful return of hostages during the second ceasefire deal, and accuses the Israeli government of breaking the ceasefire to appease Itamar Ben-Gvir and pass the Israeli government’s budget ahead of a potential election.

The letter condemns the deaths that interruption in aid that took place after the ceasefire’s end and specifically calls out the killing of 15 aid workers last month in Gaza in an incident whose specifics continue to be contested. (Autopsies obtained by the New York Times showed that many of the men had been shot in the head, the newspaper reported on Wednesday.) The letter also raises concerns about the West Bank, where violence, including by Jewish settlers against Palestinians, has recently flared.

“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,” the letter read.

The letter underscores a fissure within the group on its stance on the war in Gaza. After the ceasefire deal ended, the signatories appealed to the board to put out a statement condemning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision, but they refused, according to the Financial Times.

One signatory, Baron Frankal, told the Financial Times that others within the group shared the letter’s sentiment, but “would not be willing to say so publicly.”

In response to the letter, the board told the Financial Times that its members held diverse opinions and “others would no doubt put more emphasis on the fundamental responsibility of Hamas for this ghastly situation.”