Diaspora leaders write to Israel’s president over ‘Jewish extremist terror’
Global Jewish figures warn settler violence threatens Israel’s future and moral standing
Hundreds of Jewish leaders and public figures from across the diaspora have written to Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, calling for urgent action against “Jewish extremist terror” in the West Bank.
The letter, coordinated by The London Initiative, brings together prominent voices from the UK, North America and beyond, including philanthropists, rabbis, politicians and community leaders with longstanding ties to Israel.
Among the UK signatories are former foreign secretary Malcolm Rifkind, peer Daniel Finkelstein and former Middle East envoy Michael Levy, alongside senior communal figures such as JLC chair Keith Black and Movement for Progressive Judaism co-leads Rabbis Charley Baginsky and Josh Levy. High-profile international names include Birthright Israel co-founder Charles Bronfman, philanthropist Dame Vivien Duffield and Sir Mick Davis, who co-founded The London Initiative.
In the letter, signatories describe attacks by Jewish extremists on Palestinian civilians as “an abomination”, warning the violence is “not only morally shameful but a strategic threat to the future of Israel.”
They argue that failure to prevent such attacks risks damaging Israel’s global standing and its relationship with diaspora communities, particularly younger generations.
The intervention follows a previous appeal sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in August 2025, signed by more than 6,000 Jews worldwide, which called for stronger enforcement against settler violence.
Signatories say the situation has worsened since then, pointing to a “new nadir” during the recent war with Iran.
The letter also references comments by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who condemned attacks by Jewish extremists on both Palestinian civilians and Israeli soldiers as “morally and ethically unacceptable”.
Raising concerns about government responsibility, the signatories state that Israel’s security forces are capable of preventing such violence, but suggest a lack of clear direction from political leadership.
They warn that, based on recent events and statements from coalition figures, the violence risks being perceived as tolerated or even enabled at a political level.
Addressing Herzog directly, the letter calls on him to use his position to press the government to act decisively and end what it describes as an “era of impunity”.
Framing their appeal ahead of Pesach, the signatories link the issue to Jewish values of freedom and responsibility, urging action to protect both Israel’s democratic character and its long-term security.
The full letter can be found here.
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