More than sixty-five American Jewish leaders signed a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged him to adopt the findings of the Levy Report, which asserts that the “settlements” in Judea and Samaria are legal in accordance with international law.
The report, which was authored by a panel of renowned Israeli jurists comprised of Supreme Court justice Edmond Levy, former Foreign Ministry legal adviser Alan Baker, and former deputy president of the Tel Aviv District Court Tehiya Shapira, recommends against the future demolition of communities that had been deemed to be “illegal outposts.”
The letter endorsing the Levy Report, which was spearheaded by Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Executive Vice President, Emeritus of the National Council of Young Israel, is signed by dozens of prominent Jewish leaders from across the United States, with additional people joining in support of the letter daily.
“As the Levy Report correctly notes, Israel is not engaged in ‘military occupation’ in relation to the communities in Judea and Samaria,” the American Jewish leaders wrote in their letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu. “We believe that this conclusion vindicates the Israeli government, which has been unjustifiably vilified by many in the international community, simply because there are Jews living in this particular area of the Jewish State.”
“Like you, we recognize and respect the fact that the Jewish people have inalienable rights to the land of Israel which stem from the Bible, and we are familiar with the historic legacy of the movement of Ze’ev Jabotinsky, Menachem Begin, and Herut/Likud, which you now lead, that has long endorsed Jewish rights in the entirety of the land of Israel,” continued the Jewish leaders. “Viewing it from this perspective, the Levy Report confirms what we all know to be true and just, and it certainly warrants your support and endorsement.”
In addition to expressing their staunch support of the Levy Report, the American Jewish leaders urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to reject the claims about the report that were set forth in a recent letter organized by the Israel Policy Forum.
“In our opinion, the individuals who have urged you not to accept the findings of the Levy Report under the pretext that Israel’s status as a Jewish and democratic state could somehow be compromised by its adoption are doing a disservice to the State of Israel,” the American Jewish leaders wrote in their letter to the Prime Minister. “Despite assertions to the contrary, the conclusions of the Levy Report do not ‘place…the prestige of Israel as a democratic member of the international community, in peril.’ We categorically reject this absurd declaration and sincerely hope and pray that you do the same.”
The following is the text of the letter and the complete list of signatories. The organizations are for identification purposes only.
August 2, 2012 Honorable Benjamin Netanyahu Office of the Prime Minister 3 Kaplan Street P.O. Box 187 Kiryat Ben-Gurion Jerusalem, Israel 91950
Dear Prime Minister Netanyahu:
We write to you in support of the recent report issued by the Levy Committee. We welcome the report’s findings and greatly appreciate the thorough process and honest approach undertaken by the well-respected legal professionals tasked with authoring this study.
We are heartened by the Levy Report’s finding that the “settlements” in Judea and Samaria are completely legal under international law, and we are encouraged that the report recommends against the future demolition of communities that had been deemed to be “illegal outposts.”
As the Levy Report correctly notes, Israel is not engaged in “military occupation” in relation to the communities in Judea and Samaria. We believe that this conclusion vindicates the Israeli government, which has been unjustifiably vilified by many in the international community, simply because there are Jews living in this particular area of the Jewish State.
Those who have repeatedly leveled criticisms at Israel for its willingness to sanction the “settlements” inexplicably ignore the fact that there are approximately 350,000 Jews residing in vibrant communities throughout Judea and Samaria, most of whom make immeasurable contributions to Israeli society. Playing politics with the lives and futures of these tens of thousands of families, comprising hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens, is absolutely shameful and wholly unacceptable.
In our opinion, the individuals who have urged you not to accept the findings of the Levy Report under the pretext that Israel’s status as a Jewish and democratic state could somehow be compromised by its adoption are doing a disservice to the State of Israel.
Despite assertions to the contrary, the conclusions of the Levy Report do not “place…the prestige of Israel as a democratic member of the international community, in peril.” We categorically reject this absurd declaration and sincerely hope and pray that you do the same.
It is not the responsibility of the State of Israel to appease the United Nations or other entities whose interests run counter to the best interests of the Jewish State. We know that your government has not, and will not, mollify those who repeatedly have sought to delegitimize the State of Israel.
We fully understand that you work diligently, day in and day out, to ensure that the citizens of Israel are safe and that their interests are duly protected. We deeply appreciate your ongoing support of the citizens of the scores of communities throughout Judea and Samaria and your continuous efforts to enable them to live their lives fully and freely in their respective homes.
We all owe it to future generations to stand up now for the right and the reality of having the entirety of the Land of Israel, including Judea, Samaria, and all of Jerusalem, for our Jewish People.
Like you, we recognize and respect the fact that the Jewish people have inalienable rights to the land of Israel which stem from the Bible, and we are familiar with the historic legacy of the movement of Ze’ev Jabotinsky, Menachem Begin, and Herut/Likud, which you now lead, that has long endorsed Jewish rights in the entirety of the land of Israel. Viewing it from this perspective, the Levy Report confirms what we all know to be true and just, and it certainly warrants your support and endorsement.
We urge you to adopt the findings of the Levy Report, thereby formally validating the status of the Jewish communities of Judea and Samaria as a true part of the State of Israel within the purview of the Israeli government. Very truly yours,
Rabbi David Algazi Congregation Havurat Yisrael President, World Committee for the Land of Israel Forest Hills, NY
Richard Allen Founder JCCWatch.org New York, NY
Rabbi Moshe Averick Board, Rabbinical Council of America Chicago, IL
Marvin S. Belsky, M.D. Human Rights Coalition Against Radical Islam New York, NY
Rabbi Mordechai Cohen Milwaukee, WI
Rabbi Yochanan Davis Rabbinical Alliance of America Brooklyn, NY
Michael Dobrin National Council on Jewish Affairs Nashville, TN
Rabbi Yisroel Edelman Young Israel Deerfield Beach Deerfield Beach, FL
Fred Ehrman New York, NY
Rabbi David Eliezrie North County Chabad Center President, Rabbinical Council of Orange County Yorba Linda, CA
Gary Erlbaum Board Member Federation of Greater Philadelphia Ardmore, PA
Rabbi Dov Fischer Young Israel of Orange County Irvine, CA
Stephen M. Flatow Terror Victims Right’s Activist West Orange, NJ
Joseph Frager, MD Chairman, World Committee for the Land of Israel Jamaica Estates, NY
Helen Freedman Executive Director Americans for a Safe Israel New York, NY
Michael Gerbitz United with Israel Lawrence, NY
Beth Gilinsky Executive Director National Conference on Jewish Affairs New York, NY
Dr. Chanania Gang Vice President Religious Zionists of America Yonkers, NY
Dr. Jonathan Gold Americans For a Safe Israel Passaic, NJ
Steven M. Goldberg, Esq. National Vice Chairman Zionist Organization of America Los Angeles, CA
Beverly A. Goldstein, Ph.D. Co-chair, Cuyahoga Valley Republican Club Beachwood, OH
Michael S. Goldstein, Esq. President, Northern Ohio Chapter, Association for Intelligence Officers Beachwood, OH
Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer New York, NY
Marvin Green, President Hunter Green Associates New York, NY
Rabbi Yonah Gross Congregation Beth Hamedrosh Wynnewood, PA
Rabbi Abraham B. Hecht Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Sharre Zion President, Rabbinical Alliance of America Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Yehoshua S. Hecht Beth Israel of Westport/Norwalk President, Rabbinical Council of Connecticut Norwalk, CT
Rabbi Yonoson Hirtz Utopia Jewish Center Fresh Meadows, NY
Odeleya Jacobs Vice President Media Relations World Committee for the Land of Israel Flushing, NY
Rabbi Ari Jacobson Young Israel of Monsey and Wesley Hills Monsey, NY
Chaim Kaminetzky Past President National Council of Young Israel Flushing, NY
Sharad Karkhanis, Ph. D. Professor Emeritus, City University of New York Brooklyn, NY
Stuart Kaufman National Conference on Jewish Affairs Great Neck, NY
Ruth King Executive Committee Editorial Board OUTPOST American for a Safe Israel New York, NY
Jay Knopf Executive Board, The Hebron Fund Teaneck, NJ
Mara Kochba Israel Cancer Research Fund Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Pesach Lerner Executive Vice President, Emeritus National Council of Young Israel Far Rockaway, NY
Rabbi Reuven Mann Young Israel of Phoenix Phoenix, AZ
Lori Lowenthal Marcus President, Z STREET Philadelphia, PA
Alan A. Mazurek, MD Former Chairman, ZOA National Board Assistant Clinical Professor, Neurology Mount Sinai Medical Center, NYC Great Neck, NY
Yaniv Meirov CHAZAQ Organization Queens, NY
Julio Messer Past President, American Friends of Likud New York, NY
Cherna Moskowitz Miami Beach, FL
Shlomo Mostofsky, Esq. Immediate Past President National Council of Young Israel Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Yehuda L Oppenheimer Young Israel of Forest Hills Forest Hills, NY
Russel Pergament Boston, MA
Gerald Platt President, American Friends of Likud New York, NY
Rozanne Polansky Executive Board Young Israel of North Bellmore North Bellmore, NY
Rabbi Steven Pruzansky Congregation B’nai Yeshurun Teaneck, NJ
Susan L. Rosenbluth Editor and Publisher The Jewish Voice and Opinion Englewood, NJ
Rabbi Dov Schreier Young Israel of North Bellmore North Bellmore, NY
Sheldon Schreiner Chairman of the Board National Council of Young Israel Plainview, NY
Harvey Schwartz Chairman American Israeli Action Coalition Woodmere, NY
Rabbi Ze’ev Smason Nusach Hari Bnai Zion Congregation St. Louis, MO
Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Scher Beit Midrash Kol Beramah Santa Fe, NM
Josef Silny Miami, FL
Rabbi Moshe Snow Young Israel Beth El Of Borough Park Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Sroya Sorscher Dean, Rabbi Jacob London Yeshiva Brooklyn, NY
Sarah N. Stern Founder and President Endowment for Middle East Truth Washington, DC
Rabbi Gershon Tannenbaum Director, Rabbinical Alliance of America Brooklyn, NY
Yitzchok Tenenbaum Lechaim Charities New York, NY
Howard Teich New York, NY
Robin Ticker American Friends for a Safe Israel Brooklyn, NY
Stanley Treitel American Friends of the Jerusalem Conference Los Angeles, CA
Farley Weiss President, Young Israel of Phoenix 1st Vice President, National Council of Young Israel National Vice President, ZOA Phoenix, AZ
Dr. Rina Yarmish
Chairperson, Mathematics & Computer Science
City University of New York, Kingsborough
New York, NY