Board of Deputies members publish open letter against war in Gaza

Reflecting on the trajectory of the war, the Board members highlighted the prior success of diplomacy over military force in securing the release of hostages.

“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 IDF,” the letter continued.

They also condemned the Israeli government’s decision to resume military operations in Gaza following a breakdown in the ceasefire agreement, adding: “At that moment, the Israeli government instead chose to break the ceasefire and return to war in Gaza with the ‘Itamar offensive’, so-called as it was Itamar Ben-Gvir’s condition for returning to the coalition.”

The Netanyahu government has previously rejected claims that it broke the ceasefire, arguing that it expired on March 1, weeks before the renewed offensive began. It has also denied that the military operation was motivated by a desire to bring Ben-Gvir back into the fold and shore up the administration’s support base.

Since the ceasefire collapse, the letter noted, “no hostages have returned. Hundreds and hundreds more Palestinians have been killed; food, fuel and medical supplies have once again been blocked from entering Gaza.” The statement cited the killing of paramedics and mass graves as signs of a war that is spiralling into brutality.

However, the letter did not confine its criticism to Gaza, expressing alarm over what it described as a broader erosion of democratic norms within Israel itself.

“This most extremist of Israeli governments is openly encouraging violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, strangling the Palestinian economy and building more new settlements than ever,” it said. “This extremism also targets Israeli democracy, with the independence of the judicial system again under fierce attack, the police increasingly resembling a militia and repressive laws... bitterly dividing Israeli society.”

“Silence is seen as support for policies and actions that run contrary to our Jewish values,” the letter added, aligning itself with growing Israeli protest movements demanding a prioritisation of hostage returns and a path to peace.

It went on: “We stand with them. We stand against the war. We acknowledge and mourn the loss of Palestinian life. We yearn for the ‘day after’ this conflict when reconciliation can start.

“As we mark the festival of freedom with so many hostages still in captivity, it is our duty, as Jews, to speak out.”

The publication of the campaign has been met with a divided reaction in the British community. A senior member of the Board of Deputies described the move as “an incredibly badly advised decision,” adding: “[It is] highly divisive and inappropriate in undermining [Board president] Phil Rosenberg so publicly in a national forum. As British Jews, we should not be commenting on what is effectively an Israeli political matter.”

A spokesperson for the Board said: “The Board of Deputies represents the diverse constituencies of the UK Jewish community.

“We understand that around 10 per cent of our Deputies signed this letter and that potentially others would associate themselves with it.

"Others would no doubt put more emphasis on the fundamental responsibility of Hamas for this ghastly situation and the need to ensure that they are prevented from ever repeating the heinous crimes of 7 October.

"This diversity is not unlike the politics of Israel itself, whose rambunctious democratic culture sees a fierce exchange of views about these excruciating life and death issues.

"Within this diversity, however, there is much unity. The UK Jewish community as a whole wants to see the immediate release of the hostages held by Hamas. We want to see Hamas, Hezbollah and the other terrorist proxies of Iran prevented from ever being able to repeat 7 October. We want to see aid flowing into Gaza so that its civilian population can rebuild their lives. And we want to see definitive progress towards lasting peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians, and the wider Middle East.”

The signatories to the letter were: 

Harriett Goldenberg
Baron Frankal
Sophie Hasenson
Robert Stone
Deborah Barnett
Lottie Blankstone
Eddie Cawston
Noemi Csogor
Annabelle Daiches
Leigh Dworkin
Zac Bates-Fisher
Ido Ben-Shaul
Jane Ginsborg
Philip Goldenberg
Daniel Grossman
Ben Heath
Daniel Howard-Schiff
Nat Kunin
Harry Lampert
Eva Lawrence
Daniel Mautner
Katie Marks
Karen Maxwell
Mike Mendoza
Tessa Milligan
Toby Millis
Elinor Milne
Nina Morris-Evans
Janvier Palmer
Bailey Prevezer
Emma Prinsley
Lawrence Ray
Tom Rich
Rebecca Singerman-Knight
Tommer Spence
Karen Worth