36 Board of Deputies members express open opposition to Israel’s continued war in Gaza

Thirty-six members of the Board of Deputies have expressed open opposition to Israel’s continued war in Gaza and to the country’s “most extremist of governments” in a significant letter published by the FT newspaper.

The communal representatives – who include Harriett Goldenberg, Baron Frankal, Sophie Hasenson and others – write that “what is happening is unbearable, but our Jewish values compel us to stand up and speak out.”

Under the headline “As British Jews we can no longer stay silent on the War in Gaza” that signatories note how thousands of Israelis have returned to the streets to demonstrate against ending the ceasefire with Hamas and against Benjamin Netanyahu’s government which has “not prioritised the return of the hostages.”

In stinging criticism of the Netanyahu government’s drift into authoritarianism the letter writers claim:”Israel’s soul is being ripped out, and we, members of the Board of Deputies, fear for the future of the Israel we love and have such close ties to.”

The tone of the letter, published by the influential newspaper on Wednesday, is significantly different to that of the leadership of the Board, who have not issued any criticism of the Israeli government’s war aims since the conflict began following the October 7 Hamas attacks in 2023.

It describes the past 18 months of “heartbreaking war” as having shown that the “most successful” way to bring home the hostages is through diplomacy, noting that military action secured the release of just eight of those held by Hamas in Gaza, while 135 of those held captive were released through negotiation.

The signatories, all representing Reform or Liberal communities, also show their support for the Arab League plan for the reconstruction of Gaza, which would be managed by a Palestinian leadership other than Hamas.

In a further significant criticism of Israeli military action, the signatories note the “painful and shocking” death of 15 paramedics in Gaza “and their burial in a mass grave” in what they say has been a “brutal war.”

The signatories – who also include Deborah Barnett, Robert Stone, Lottie Blankstone, Eddie Cawson, Emma Prinsley, Daniel Grossman and Ben Heath amongst others –  add:”We stand with them. We stand against the war. We acknowledge and mourn the loss of Palestinian life.

“We yearn for the ‘day after’ this conflict when reconciliation can start.”

Responding to the letter, an official Board statement said:”The Board of Deputies represents the diverse constituencies of the UK Jewish community.

“We understand that around 10% of our Deputies signed this letter and that potentially others would associate themselves with it.

“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 7 October.

“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.

“Within this diversity, however, there is much unity. The UK Jewish community as a whole wants to see the immediate release of the hostages held by Hamas. We want to see Hamas, Hezbollah and the other terrorist proxies of Iran prevented from ever being able to repeat 7 October.

“We want to see aid flowing into Gaza so that its civilian population can rebuild their lives. And we want to see definitive progress towards lasting peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians, and the wider Middle East.”