Seeking a peaceful settlement to the Middle East conflict through negotiations, a group of prominent Jews in Britain on Sunday asked Israel to cease military operations in Gaza immediately as it warned that Tel Aviv's actions were strengthening "extremism" and "destabilising" the region.
Describing themselves as "profound and passionate supporters" of Israel, they said the current tactics threatened to undermine international support for Tel Aviv.
The intervention, in a letter published in Sunday's Observer, came as fears grew that Israel was to launch a "new phase" of its military offensive inside the Gaza strip. On Saturday warplanes dropped leaflets warning Gazans "not to be close to terrorists, weapons warehouses and the places where the terrorists operate".
The letter, which represents the most significant break with Israel's tactics from a group of UK Jews, said that Tel Aviv's actions in Gaza, far from improving the Jewish state's security, are strengthening "extremism, destabilising the region and exacerbating tensions inside Israel".
It asked Israel to immediately halt "horror" of Gaza while calling for negotiations between the Jewish country and Palestinians for the peaceful settlement of the Middle East conflict.
Prominent rabbis, academics and political figures are among its signatories, including Rabbi Tony Bayfield, head of the Movement for Reform Judaism; Sir Jeremy Beecham, former chair of the Labour party; Professor Shalom Lappin; Baroness Julia Neuberger; Rabbi Professor Marc Saperstein, Principal of Leo Baeck rabbinical training college; and lawyer Michael Mitzman, who set up Holocaust Memorial Day Trust for the Home Office.
The demand from the prominent UK Jews comes amid increasing pressure on Israel from the diplomatic community to halt its operations, and rising criticism of the humanitarian impact on Palestinian civilians, including allegations of potentially serious breaches of international humanitarian law.
Demonstrations around the world yesterday called for a ceasefire. The two-week old campaign has already killed more than 800 Palestinians, while 13 Israelis have died, three of them civilians killed by Hamas rockets.
The Jews' group, in their letter, said "we look upon the increasing loss of life on both sides of the Gaza conflict with horror. We have no doubt that rocket attacks into southern Israel, by Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups, are war crimes against Israel.
"No sovereign state should or would, tolerate continued attacks and the deliberate targeting of civilians. Israel had a right to respond and we support the Israeli government's decision to make stopping the rocket attacks an urgent priority. However, we believe that now only negotiations can secure long term security for Israel and the region."
The letter was written before the escalation of ground fighting in Gaza City itself signalled by Israel yesterday.
"There can be no alternative to a negotiated solution," said Beecham. "Israel should be demonstrating along with the Palestinian Authority, that there are economic and political benefits to be gained from peaceful engagement rather than violent confrontation."
