Over 80 rabbis denounce Israeli onslaught in Gaza, warn against starvation as weapon of war

Over 80 Modern Orthodox Rabbis have urged the Israeli government to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis plaguing the Gaza Strip in a petition on Tuesday.

The religious leaders, led by Rabbi Yosef Blau, called the crisis in Gaza "one of the most severe in recent history", echoing similar statements by NGOs and charities about the enclave, where more than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed in nearly 23 months of Israeli onslaught.

"There have been months when Israel blocked humanitarian convoys on the mistaken premise that increased suffering would bring about Hamas's surrender. Instead, the result has been the deepening of despair," the petition said.

The signatories added that Israel cannot be "absolved" from its "responsibility for the profound suffering of Gaza’s civilian population", as Tel Aviv faces mounting global criticism over its conduct in the enclave.

Blau told Israeli daily Haaretz that the catalyst for the letter was Israel’s decision to impose a total siege on the territory earlier this year, barring the entry of life-saving humanitarian aid. As a consequence, Palestinians are dying from starvation and malnutrition every day - at least 266 so far, including 112 children.

In their letter, the rabbis pointed to the hardline nature of Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing cabinet, which they say has allowed "the most extreme voices in the Israeli government to fill the vacuum with disturbing proposals", referring to calls for the forced displacement of Palestinians from the enclave by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The rabbis, who include past and present religious leaders from various countries, also addressed the rise in settler violence in the West Bank, which they say is "further destabilising the region".

Their statement came just before the Israeli government approved a controversial settlement expansion plan in the West Bank that would divide the occupied Palestinian territory into two and threaten any notion of a Palestinian state.

The rabbis also said the teachings of Orthodox Judaism stand in "stark contrast" with "allowing" Gaza’s Palestinians to starve.

Despite their plea to the Israeli government, the signatories appeared to justify Israel's war in Gaza, saying Hamas "needed a strong military response" following the October 2023 attack, and claiming the group "didn't care" when Israel imposed its siege on Gaza.

Rabbi Blau also said the current "situation was created by Hamas", despite Israel's continued refusal to agree to a ceasefire and its denial of a starvation crisis in Gaza, amid strong evidence and testimonies to the contrary.

He maintained that the Orthodox Jewish community "remains" one of Israel's biggest supporters, stressing that their letter isn’t "anti-Zionist", but noting that some religious leaders have been "reluctant" to criticise Israel’s policies out of fear it would be used against them by "the enemy".

Tuesday's letter is the latest of its kind by Jewish religious leaders to condemn Israel's conduct in the Gaza Strip. In July, hundreds of rabbis signed an open letter demanding that Tel Aviv "stops using starvation as a weapon of war" in Gaza.

In March, a number of religious Jews at a Smol Emuni (Religious Left) event in New York voiced opposition to Israel's policies in the Palestinian enclave.

Several former and current military personnel have also expressed opposition to the war in various statements and letters.