More than 400 U.S. rabbis, cantors, rabbinical and cantorial students — including 32 Northern California clergy — have signed an online letter criticizing Israel’s construction plans in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem, particularly in the controversial E1 region.
The open letter, addressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warns that the project undermines the territorial integrity of a future Palestinian state, hurts prospects for reaching a two-state solution and damages the U.S.-Israel relationship.
“We fear that building settlements in E1 would be the final blow to a peaceful solution,” warns the letter, which is co-sponsored by J Street, Americans for Peace Now and Rabbis for Human Rights-North America. The full text and list of signatories can be found at http://bit.ly/U46Tvs. The letter points out that the signatories have lived in Israel, visit often and preach about Israel, and that many have family living there. Nevertheless, it expresses concern that the “situation in the occupied territories violates Palestinian human rights and undercuts the very values on which Israel was founded.” — j. staff