The British Jews have warned that “Israel’s soul is being ripped out” by the genocidal military campaign in Gaza, an onslaught they say is fundamentally at odds with Jewish values and is causing immense suffering while failing to achieve its stated goal of returning Israeli captives, reports the Middle East Monitor.
In a powerful open letter published in the Financial Times, 36 members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, a historically pro-Israel body, broke ranks with the prevailing stance of Western Jewish Zionist institutions, which have largely continued to back Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition.
The “representatives of the British Jewish community,” state: “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 strikes at one of the central narratives advanced by Israel in justifying the ongoing massacre of Palestinians: that the killing in Gaza must continue to secure the release of captives. The authors point to the reality that more hostages have been freed through negotiations than military action, stating: “By the end of the first phase of the second ceasefire and hostage release deal, 135 hostages had been released through negotiation, just eight by military action, with at least three tragically killed by the Israel Defence Forces.”