Hundreds of Jewish prominent figures around the world have called on the UN and global leaders to impose sanctions on Israel because they consider Israel’s actions in Gaza “irrational” and equivalent to genocide.
An open letter urging governments to hold Israel accountable for alleged violations of international law in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem has been signed by more than 450 people, including former Israeli officials, intellectuals and artists. At the same time, reports emerged that EU leaders may abandon plans to impose sanctions on Israel at a summit in Brussels on Thursday.
The signatories wrote: "We have not forgotten that many laws, charters and conventions designed to preserve and protect all human life were created in response to the Holocaust. But these safeguards have been ruthlessly trampled upon by Israel."
Among those who participated in the call were former Knesset Speaker Avraham Berg, Israeli peace negotiator Daniel Levy, writers Michael Rosen and Naomi Klein, Oscar-winning filmmaker Jonathan Glazer, actors Wallace Shawn and Ilana Glazer, and philosopher Omri Bohm. The group urged world leaders to implement the rulings of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, halt arms sales and impose targeted sanctions on Israeli officials and entities suspected of committing crimes.
The petition comes at a time when the public opinion of American Jews and even the wider electorate is changing. A recent Washington Post poll found that 61% of American Jews believe Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza, and 39% believe Israel is committing genocide. Another Quinnipiac University survey in August also found that half of American voters hold the same view.
In October 2023, when Hamas launched an attack that killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages, Israel launched a military operation in the Gaza Strip, a massive Israeli counterattack that sparked widespread condemnation and a wave of support for the Palestinian people.
The Gaza Ministry of Health reports that at least 680,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 170,000 injured in the past two years.The United Nations estimates that about 90 percent of Gaza’s population has been displaced within the territory.