On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, a remarkable and rare statement emerged from within the Orthodox Jewish world: over 80 Orthodox rabbis, including chief rabbis past and present from several countries, released a public petition urging the Israeli government to address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and to strongly condemn the surge in settler violence in the West Bank. The letter, titled "A Call for Moral Clarity, Responsibility, and a Jewish Orthodox Response in the Face of the Gaza Humanitarian Crisis," marks a significant intervention in the ongoing debate surrounding Israel’s conduct nearly two years into the Israel-Hamas war.
According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), the signatories of the letter are largely drawn from the liberal edge of Modern Orthodoxy—a segment of the Orthodox community that, while generally supportive of Zionism and the State of Israel, has grown increasingly uneasy with what they describe as hardline positions on the conflict, especially regarding Gaza and the West Bank. While few of the signatories hold current congregational roles, their collective voice is notable in a community that often leans politically right and has long been seen as one of Israel’s staunchest international supporters.
The open letter does not mince words in its assessment of the current crisis. While acknowledging the atrocities committed by Hamas, the rabbis insist that "Hamas’s sins and crimes do not relieve the government of Israel of its obligations to make whatever efforts are necessary to prevent mass starvation." This statement, as published by JTA, reflects a nuanced position: condemning terror while emphasizing the moral imperative, rooted in Jewish tradition, to alleviate suffering—even among adversaries.
The petition comes amid mounting reports of a hunger crisis in Gaza, with international organizations warning that the enclave faces unprecedented food shortages and malnutrition. The letter is just one among a recent cascade of open letters from Jewish voices worldwide, but it stands out for its Orthodox provenance and for its pointed critique of both Israeli policy and internal Jewish communal attitudes.
One of the central themes of the letter is the rabbis’ deep concern over what they describe as the "ascendance of extremist voices in Israel, the hardening of sentiments about Palestinians, and the explosion of settler violence in the West Bank." The letter refers to the West Bank by its Hebrew names, Yehuda and Shomron, underscoring the historical Jewish connection to the land but also highlighting the current crisis. The rabbis write, "The justified anger toward Hamas has dangerously expanded by some extremists into blanket suspicion of the entire population of Gaza—children included—tarnished as future terrorists."
The letter goes further, directly addressing the violence perpetrated by some Israeli settlers in the West Bank: "Meanwhile, in Yehuda and Shomron, extremist settler violence has resulted in the murder of civilians and has forced Palestinian villagers from their homes, further destabilizing the region." This is a striking acknowledgment of facts that are often downplayed or ignored in mainstream Orthodox discourse, and it reflects a growing unease with the direction of Israeli society among some Modern Orthodox leaders.
Rabbi Yosef Blau, a longtime leading rabbi at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and one of the letter’s key organizers, retired and moved to Israel earlier this year. In a statement accompanying the letter, he explained his motivations: "My support of Israel and Zionism stems from my commitment to Judaism. A non-critical loyalty is contradictory to the introspection fundamental to Judaism. When religion is used to justify a worship of power, it distorts basic morality." Blau’s words encapsulate the spirit of the petition—a call for moral reflection and a refusal to allow political or religious loyalty to override ethical responsibility.
The signatories include the chief rabbis of Poland, Denmark, and Norway, as well as the former chief rabbi of Ireland and the senior rabbis of prominent Orthodox congregations in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Their inclusion signals that this is not merely a fringe statement, but one with significant international reach and symbolic weight.
While the letter stops short of calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza—a position taken by some more progressive Jewish groups—it does call for urgent humanitarian action. The rabbis argue that "Orthodox Jewry, as some of Israel’s most devoted supporters, bears a unique moral responsibility. We must affirm that Judaism’s vision of justice and compassion extends to all human beings." This line, as reported by JTA, reflects a growing frustration among politically liberal Orthodox Jews over what they see as the hardening of attitudes within their communities and a reluctance to speak out against policies they view as unjust or inhumane.
In recent years, Orthodox communities have often been perceived as more hawkish on Israel-related issues, with many young adults joining the Israeli army after high school or making aliyah—a term for Jewish immigration to Israel—at rates far higher than in non-Orthodox denominations. This context makes the rabbis’ letter all the more striking: it is, in effect, a challenge to their own community to live up to the highest ideals of Jewish ethics, even (or especially) when doing so is uncomfortable.
The petition also addresses the broader dangers of moral erosion in times of conflict. The rabbis warn that "the justified anger toward Hamas has dangerously expanded by some extremists into blanket suspicion of the entire population of Gaza—children included—tarnished as future terrorists." In the West Bank, they describe a situation where "extremist settler violence has resulted in the murder of civilians and has forced Palestinian villagers from their homes, further destabilizing the region." These statements, corroborated by international human rights groups and echoed in the letter, serve as a sobering reminder of the human cost of the conflict on all sides.
Notably, the letter’s signatories are not calling for a wholesale abandonment of Israel or Zionism. Rather, they are urging a return to what they see as Judaism’s core values: justice, compassion, and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths. As Rabbi Blau put it, "A non-critical loyalty is contradictory to the introspection fundamental to Judaism."
This intervention by Orthodox rabbis may not immediately shift the political calculus in Israel or among diaspora Jews, but it signals a growing willingness among some leaders to speak out against what they view as moral failings, even at the risk of controversy or backlash within their own communities. Whether this marks the beginning of a broader rethinking within Orthodoxy remains to be seen. For now, their message is clear: the crisis in Gaza and the West Bank demands not only political solutions, but a renewed commitment to the ethical teachings at the heart of Judaism.
