The Prophets Would Not Abide by Jewish Silence
One of the troubling realities of Jewish life in America since the atrocities of October 7 is that it has silenced many Jews and Jewish organizations from speaking out against the policies of this Israeli government. While this may be changing to some extent, until recently, major Jewish organizations in America have been sparse in their condemnation of Israel’s decision to withhold food and aid to Gazans. This policy, implemented most recently between March and May 2025, has triggered horrific famine conditions. (https://www.timesofisrael.com/gazans-say-no-humanitarian-aid-has-reached-them-day-after-trucks-entered-strip/ ) Additionally, there have been minimal vocal objections to the policies of Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who have ignored settler violence against Palestinians on the West Bank (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/16/magazine/israel-west-bank-settler-violence-impunity.html ). This violence has spun out of control, most recently resulting in the murder of a Palestinian American (https://www.timesofisrael.com/families-of-palestinian-americans-killed-in-the-west-bank-lose-hope-for-justice/) and the Palestinian activist and creator of the Academy Award-winning film “No Other Land” (https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-activist-featured-in-oscar-winning-movie-shot-dead-during-clash-with-settlers/ ) as well as the burning of Palestinian homes.(© The Times of Israel (Blogs)
