Prominent Israelis urge ‘severe sanctions’ on Israel over Gaza food crisis
A group of 31 high-profile Israeli public figures, including academics, artists, and public intellectuals, has signed a letter calling for the international community to impose “crippling sanctions” on Israel due to its actions in Gaza.
The signatories include notable individuals such as Yuval Abraham, an Academy Award recipient; Michael Ben-Yair, a former Israeli Attorney General; Avraham Burg, a former Speaker of Israel’s parliament and former head of the Jewish Agency; and several recipients of the prestigious Israel Prize, the country’s highest cultural honor.
The letter, addressed to the Guardian, accuses Israel of “starving the people of Gaza to death and contemplating the forced removal of millions of Palestinians from the strip.”
READ ALSO: How South Africa quietly powers Israel’s war on Gaza, by Thomas Karat
The signatories demand that the international community take action, stating, “The international community must impose crippling sanctions on Israel until it ends this brutal campaign and implements a permanent ceasefire.”
The letter’s signatories come from various fields, including poetry, science, journalism, and academia. Some notable signatories include painter Michal Na’aman; documentary filmmaker Ra’anan Alexandrowicz; film director Samuel Maoz; poet Aharon Shabtai; and choreographer Inbal Pinto.
This development reflects a growing trend of increasing international and domestic criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
READ ALSO: 12 countries commit to arms embargo on Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza
The mounting humanitarian crisis, with images of emaciated Palestinian children and reports of Israeli forces shooting hungry Palestinians at food distribution centers, has sparked widespread outrage. According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 21-month Israel-Gaza war.
The letter’s call for sanctions marks a significant shift in Israeli public opinion, as it breaks the taboo of endorsing stringent international sanctions. Israeli politicians have previously promoted laws targeting those who advocate for such measures.
The development comes amid reports from Israeli human rights groups, including B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel, accusing Israel of conducting a “genocidal” policy against Palestinians in Gaza.
READ ALSO: Thousands join Tunisian-led ‘Sumud Convoy’ to demand end to Israeli blockade on Gaza
The Reform movement, the largest Jewish denomination in the US, has also spoken out against Israel’s actions, stating that the Israeli government is “culpable” in Gaza’s spreading famine.
The movement’s leaders emphasize the need for immediate action to address the humanitarian crisis, saying, “No one should be unaffected by the pervasive hunger experienced by thousands of Gazans… Blocking food, water, medicine, and power, especially for children, is indefensible.”
The Israeli government’s response to the crisis has been met with criticism, with some arguing that they have denied the existence of famine in Gaza despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
The UN’s Integrated Food Security Phase Classification mechanism and even former US President Donald Trump have acknowledged the severity of the food crisis in Gaza.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has also spoken out against the government’s proposals, warning that a “humanitarian city” built on the ruins of Rafah would amount to a concentration camp and ethnic cleansing.
Follow the Neptune Prime channel on WhatsApp:
Do you have breaking news, interview request, opinion, suggestion, or want your event covered? Email us at neptuneprime2233@gmail.com
