Leading U.S. Jewish groups urge Israel to act against ‘extremist’ settler violence in West Bank

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WASHINGTON – Seven prominent American-Jewish organizations urged Israeli officials Tuesday to condemn “the ongoing terrorism and political violence committed by Jewish Israeli extremists in the West Bank against Palestinians, Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.”

In a letter organized by Israel Policy Forum and signed by the Anti-Defamation League, Central Conference of American Rabbis, National Council of Jewish Women, Rabbinical Assembly, Union for Reform Judaism, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the groups urged Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz to address the “disturbing trend” through “unequivocal action.”

“These attacks serve as an affront to Israel’s rule of law, to Israeli democracy, and to Jewish values, while undermining Israel’s image and relations with the United States government, American people, and American Jewry,” the letter reads, adding that “they make it more difficult to appreciate Israel’s legitimate and ongoing security needs and efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

The letter follows last week’s incident where seven human rights activists were lightly wounded near the West Bank village of Burin. They had been in the village to help Palestinian farmers plant trees in areas that had been damaged or vandalized in the past.

The U.S. groups note that the attacks are “perpetrated by a small group of radicals” and that Israelis are also subject to “ongoing and increasing attacks by Palestinians.” They stress, however, that Israeli attacks have been “steadily increasing and intensifying over the past year.”

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The letter concluded with the groups urging the entire Israeli government and security apparatus to “unite in strong condemnation against these acts, to work decisively to hold those responsible accountable, and to confront the growing threats posed by these extremists with the determination and seriousness that this grave situation requires.”

The signatories represent more than three-quarters of Jewish congregations and other constituencies in the U.S., representing a significant consensus of American-Jewish displeasure with the escalating spate of settler violence.

A firefighter extinguishing the flames after settlers set left-wing activists’ car ablaze in the West Bank last week.Yesh Din

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