Overview

• The open letter, organized by Rabbi Yosef Blau, gathers more than 80 Modern Orthodox signatories under the title calling for moral clarity in response to Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
• The rabbis condemn Hamas yet state that Israel remains obligated to make every effort to prevent mass starvation and they do not call for ending the war.
• The statement also denounces rising extremist settler violence in the West Bank, citing killings and forced displacement of Palestinian villagers.
• Prominent signatories include the heads of Yeshivat Maale Gilboa and leading rabbis in Poland, Denmark, Norway, Ireland, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.
• Right-leaning outlets quickly criticized the letter and disputed famine claims, while a signatory, Rabbi David Bigman, emphasized the intent to press humane action and acknowledged contested evidence and complexities.