As the crisis widened after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran Saturday, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, an organization that mobilizes 2,300 rabbis and cantors in the U.S. and Canada, responded by condemning the escalation and praying for the safety of Israelis, Palestinians, Iranians, and all those impacted by this war.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah, said:
“T’ruah condemns President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s reckless and deadly decision to launch a war of choice with Iran. Through this decision, they have put millions of people in Israel, Iran, and across the Middle East in harm’s way and endangered American troops, dragging us all into war without clear objectives or an exit strategy. Americans do not want this war, and the president made this decision without congressional approval and without even offering the American people a coherent explanation for going to war now.
“War is not a path to regional peace. This widening war has already had deadly consequences for people living in the region. In Iran, over 1,000 people have been killed this week, including children tragically killed in a strike on a school. In Israel, at least nine people were killed in Beit Shemesh, and one woman was killed in Tel Aviv. Dozens are dead from Israeli strikes in Lebanon. Because of systemic inequality, some in Israel, and the West Bank, including in many Palestinian and Bedouin communities, do not have bomb shelters to retreat to. We are praying for the safety of Palestinian friends in the region, who have nowhere to seek shelter.
“At least six U.S. servicemembers have also been killed. While soldiers enlist knowing that they may be called on to give their lives for their country, it is the responsibility of the President and Congress to do everything possible to keep American troops safe and to go to war only as a last possible resort.
“While we may see Trump try to claim victory in the short term, we have seen these claims of victory before. They are short-lived. Just last summer, Israel and the U.S. struck targets in Iran and declared mission accomplished, yet here we are again. We urge Congress to act quickly to restrain the president and prioritize a diplomatic resolution.
“Ayatollah Khamenei’s brutal regime terrorized and killed Iranians, including thousands of brave protesters who dared to stand up to the regime earlier this year. Tens of thousands of Jews fled Iran after the revolution that brought him to power. The regime also spent decades fomenting hatred of Israel and the United States, undermining pathways to peace, causing havoc, destabilizing countries and engaging in violence through their proxies, and sponsoring terror attacks across the world. The people of Iran deserve better, as do the people of Lebanon, Yemen, and beyond. But military force alone cannot destroy an ideology or create sustainable security. Nor is there any reason to assume that a more democratic government will rise in Khamenei’s absence. A destabilized Iran could produce catastrophic regional consequences and immense human suffering.
“We must also call out the ways that under the cover of war, Israel has continued its campaigns of displacement and dehumanization. It has closed border crossings into Gaza, cutting off 2 million people from desperately needed humanitarian aid. In the West Bank, the Israeli military has enforced widespread closures as settlers have taken the opportunity to ramp up violent attacks on Palestinians with impunity and have killed three people this week. Meanwhile, Israeli ground troops have moved further into Lebanon, displacing tens of thousands of people. For decades, Prime Minister Netanyahu has been telling Israelis that they must always live by the sword. He lobbied against the JCPOA, which was effective in slowing Iran’s development of nuclear weapons until Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018. We reject Netanyahu’s narrative and insist there is another way; diplomacy is the only way forward.
“In this week’s Torah portion, the people demand that Aaron build them a golden calf to worship. When Moses returns from Mount Sinai, he “saw that the people were out of control (paru’a)—since Aaron had let them get out of control (p’ra’o) — so that they were a menace to any who might oppose them.” (Exodus 32:25) The commentator Ibn Ezra explains this verb p-r-a by referencing two verses in Proverbs: “For lack of vision, a people lose restraint (yipara)” (39:18) and “You spurned (vatifru) all my advice.” (1:30) When there is no vision from the top or willingness to accept counsel, chaos ensues. Too many of our world leaders — from President Trump to Prime Minister Netanyahu to the leaders of Iran — see no option other than to provoke chaos and destruction and to abandon their primary responsibility: to keep their citizens safe.”
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About T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights brings the Torah’s ideals of human dignity, equality, and justice to life by empowering our network of over 2,300 rabbis and cantors to be moral voices and to lead Jewish communities in advancing democracy and human rights for all people in the United States, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.