FILE. US President Joe Biden joins Israel’s Prime Minister for the start of the Israeli war cabinet meeting, in Tel Aviv on October 18, 2023.
While most major American Jewish organizations staunchly support Israel in its war against Hamas, dissent has quietly been growing among their often younger employees, some of whom are now speaking out to “demonstrate broad support within the Jewish community for a ceasefire.”
More than 500 staffers at over 140 Jewish organizations across the country signed on to an open letter to President Joe Biden, shared first with NBC News, calling for a cease-fire, the return of all hostages and a lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.
“Many of us have devoted our life’s work to building thriving Jewish communities,” reads the letter, which follows similar anonymous open letters from various groups of U.S. government employees. “We know there is no military solution to this crisis. We know that Israelis and Palestinians are here to stay — neither Jewish safety nor Palestinian liberation can be achieved if they are pitted against one another."
The letter is distinct from the left-wing Jewish pro-cease-fire protests, which have disrupted Biden events and taken over landmarks like Grand Central Terminal in New York City, in that the signers of this letter write from a more mainstream perspective and come from a wider range of American Jewish groups, including synagogues, local Jewish community centers, social services agencies, philanthropic organizations and Jewish cultural institutions.
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The list includes some organizations that support a cease-fire but also plenty of others whose leaders have been outspoken in support of Israel and have even criticized those calling for a cease-fire as being sympathetic to Hamas.
Read the full story on NBCNews.com here.
