The London Initiative – a network of ‘changemakers’ – warned in a letter that settler violence against West Bank Palestinians is not only condoned by the Israeli government but has become official policy
By Judy Maltz, Reposted from Haaretz, March 27, 2026
More than 600 prominent Diaspora Jews – among them leading philanthropists, influential rabbis, and former government ministers – urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday (March 26) to use his position “to put an end to the abomination of Jewish-extremist terror and the era of impunity for its perpetrators.”
“It is not only morally shameful but a strategic threat to the future of Israel,” the letter, primarily circulated in North America and the United Kingdom, said. “It damages world Jewry and the relationship of future generations with Israel.”
Based on events and on the statements of the most extremist members of the governing coalition, the letter said, “it can be concluded that the violence now engulfing the West Bank is not only condoned by the government but is in fact policy.”
The signatories on the letter include Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former British foreign secretary who served under Margaret Thatcher and John Major; Charles Bronfman, the Canadian-American billionaire who co-founded Taglit-Birthright, the program that brings young Diaspora Jews on free trips to Israel; Canadian lawyer Stephen Pincus, the founding chair of Kaleidoscope; Dame Vivien Duffield, chair of the Clore Duffield Foundation in Britain; Rabbis Charley Baginsky and Josh Levy, co-leads of the Movement for Progressive Judaism; Jonathan Wittenberg, the senior rabbi of Masorti Judaism in the United Kingdom; Rabbi Sharon Brous, one of America’s most influential rabbis; and popular British comedian Simon Brodkin.
The letter was organized by The London Initiative, founded last year by Sir Mick Davis, a former CEO of the British Conservative Party, and Mike Prashker, a British-Israeli social activist engaged in Jewish-Arab shared society initiatives. TLI describes itself as a network of “changemakers” who share a commitment to advancing liberal democracy in Israel, promoting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and improving relations between Israel and Diaspora Jewish communities.
In August, the organization sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning that his government’s policies and rhetoric were causing “lasting damage” to Israel and the Jewish people. The current letter is being addressed to the president, who holds a ceremonial role, rather than the prime minister, a spokesperson for TLI said, because “it is harder for the president to ignore.”
“Mr. President, you have consistently affirmed our conviction that as Diaspora Jews it is both our right and obligation to speak up and speak out,” the letter said. “In this regard, we will continue to support citizens of Israel of all backgrounds working courageously to protect the safety, dignity, and freedom of innocent Palestinians and uphold the rule of law.”
“We note with deep regret the absence of such a commitment from this government and call on you to share our profound concerns as here set out with the prime minister, members of the government, its ambassadors, and members of Knesset,” it added.
Judy Maltz is a reporter for Haaretz.
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