DOCUMENTS

Concerned SA Jews call for Israel to cease operations in Gaza

Signatories say they abhor use of collective punishment, and IDF's response to Hamas' pogrom dramatically disproportionate

Concerned South African Jews Call for Ceasefire

We are a diverse group of South African Jews who are dismayed by the situation that is unfolding in Israel and Palestine. Through it, the world has witnessed a catastrophic loss of life, and indeed, a loss of humanity. We mourn every life lost: Palestinian and Israeli.

We believe in the universal values of peace, justice and equality, and condemn in the strongest terms any and all violence against civilians, and against children in particular. We must hold to account those responsible for violence against civilians – whether perpetrated in Gaza, the West Bank, or Israel. We do so not in spite of our Jewish identity, but because of it. One of the core beliefs of Judaism is the sanctity of human life and the duty to preserve it, enshrined in the principle of pikuach nefesh. 

The assault on Gaza follows an unprecedented and brutal attack by Hamas in southern Israel on 7 October. We are devastated that the lives of approximately 1200 Israelis, including 31 children, were lost to the gratuitous violence that occurred on this day. We grieve with the families whose loved ones were killed or taken as hostages.

We insist, however, that one heinous crime does not justify another. The experience of persecution and genocide is woven into our collective memory. We are therefore called upon to prevent it from happening again, anywhere, to anyone. Moreover, we have a particular obligation to oppose such atrocities especially when perpetrated in our name.

For this reason, we call for an immediate cease to Israel’s bombardment and blockade of Gaza. We condemn the denial of basic resources such as water, food, electricity, internet and medical supplies to Palestinian civilians. As of today, Israel’s campaign in Gaza has exacted a toll of at least 11,078 Palestinian lives, including 4,506 children*. We abhor the use of collective punishment, and see Israel’s response as dramatically disproportionate. We are distressed at the fact that this has taken place alongside state and settler led violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

We acknowledge that the current cycle of violence is rooted in decades of dispossession. We also acknowledge that this conflict is fundamentally asymmetrical in nature; between a powerful military force and a stateless people who have resisted the denial of their basic human rights for generations.

We note with great concern the rising incidence of Islamophobic and antisemitic hate crimes worldwide. We reject attempts to conflate the parties to this conflict with entire religious or ethnic groups, just as we reject the notion that criticism of the State of Israel necessarily constitutes antisemitism. As Jews with diverse views, we do not feel represented by the institutions who claim to speak on behalf of the South African Jewish community on Israel and Gaza.

We join the many voices worldwide calling for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the occupation, and the release of all hostages and detainees unjustly held both in Gaza and in Israeli prisons. We believe that the only lasting solution to ensure genuine safety for all is one that secures the equal rights and dignity of all Israelis and Palestinians.

Signed by:

Aaron Jacobs

Aaron Sher

Abe Hayeem

Adaiah Lilenstein

Adam Maserow

Adela Itzkin

Adrienne Shall

Aidan Mosselson

Aisha Gelb

Alan Fine

Alan Morris

Alan Hirsch

Alan Arnstein

Alex Abrahams

Alex Freeman

Alexa Scher

Alexander Dubb

Alexandra Kreuz Goldberg

Alexia Kaplan

Alison Todes

Alison Swartz

Alison Sher

Allan Horwitz

Allan Kaplan

Alli Appelbaum

Amy Kahn

Amy Simons

Amy Zinn

Andrea Lewis

Andrew Spiegel

Andrew Emdon

Andrew Feinstein

Andrew Nell

Andrew Brown

Andrew Colman

Andy Davis

Ann Bradlow

Anthony Fish Hodgson

Anton Richman

Anton Harber

Anton van Diermen

Antony Altbeker

Anya Mendel

Arlene Joffe

Asha de Lanerolle

Ashley Fischhoff

Aubrey Blecher

Ava Ruff

Barak Setton

Barbara Klugman

Barbara Segal

Barbara Friedman

Barbara Jawitz

Basil Dubb

Belle Marx-Miller

Ben Sanders

Benjamin Bradlow

Benjamin Fogel

Benjamin Zar

Beth Silbert

Bethea Clayton

Bianca Sossen

Bonita Alice

Brahm Fleisch

Brandon Finn

Brenda Goldblatt

Brent Sender

Brett Steingo

Brian Coleman

Brian Slon

Brian Ruff

Brigette Barnett

Bryan Pieters

Cara Browde

Carin Favis

Carin Abramovitz

Carly Abramovitz

Carmel Marock

Carol Wengrowe

Carol Steinberg

Carole Lewis

Carole Abramovitz

Carole Bloch

Caroline White

Catherine Marcus

Cathy Aaron

Caz Friedmann

Cecily Jacobson

Cheryl Cohen

Chloe Kiley

Claire Tuch

Claudette Davis

Clive Greenstone 

Clive Rubin

Colette Thorne

Colin Purkey

Colleen Radus

Craig Hart

Dale Washkansky

Damon Galgut

Dan Jawitz

Dan Odendaal

Dan Keify

Dani Hovsha

Dani Cooper

Daniel Sher

Daniel Linde

Daniel Mackintosh

Daniel Hartford

Daniel Friedman

Daniel Petrie

Daniel Band

Daniel Gallan

Daniel Berger

Daniel Browde

Danielle Travill

Danielle Joffe

Danielle Pincus

Danieyella Rodin

Danny Bradlow

Dara Beth

Daryl Glaser

David Rosenthal

David Lubinsky

David Bass

David Eppel

David Lewis

David Fine

David Jammy

David Stoloff

David Freund

David Shandler

David Fig

David De Jong

David Daitz

Debbie Schkolne

Debbie Budlender

Debbie Staniland

Deborah Posel

Deirdre Richman

Delilah Stoloff

Derek Lubner

Desrae Saacks

Diana Edelstein

Diane Cooper

Diane Levine

Diane Fine

Diane Sandler

Dinky Levitt

Doron Isaacs

Dylan Kesler

Eduan Naude

Edward Wethli

Edwin Ritchken

Eileen Weinronk

Elaine Unterhalter

Eli Goldblatt

Eliza Kentridge

Emma Reitstein

Emma Daitz

Emma Schneider

Emma Botha 

Emma Delius

Emmylou Savage

Eric Itzkin

Erica Elk

Erin Gordon

Ethan Jacobs

Evan Wigdorowitz

Evan Carman

Eve Mendel

Eve Terblanche

Ezra-Rose Fleisch

Faye Falconer-Pincus

Frances Aron

Francesca Annenberg

Francis de Satge

Francois Petousis

Franny Rabkin

Gabriel Dubb

Gabriel Espi-Sanchis

Gabriel Fine

Gabriella Saven

Gabriella Kaplan

Gail Washkansky

Gail Behrmann

Gail Super

Gary Berkowitz

Gavin Silber

Gavin Pincus

Gemma Field

Georgi Annenberg

Georgia Altbeker

Georgia Saacks

Geraldine Glaser

Gideon Sweijd

Gila Simons

Gilad Isaacs

Gilad Katzav

Gilbert Marcus

Gill Saks

Gillian Hart

Gillian Finchilescu

Gina Fredman-Jacobson

Graeme Sacks

Grant Sieff

Guy Daniel

Guy Simpson

Hal Cooper

Hannah Claassens (Wengrowe)

Hannah Fleisch

Hannah Goldblatt

Hannah Savage

Harold Kolnik

Harriet Perlman

Harriet Gavshon

Hayli Geffen

Heather Silove Howe

Heather Schiff

Heidi Grunebaum

Helene Perold

Hillary-Gayle Barwin

Howard Varney

Ian Goldman

Ian Szapira

Ilan Strauss

Ilan Rosenstein

Ilana Stone

Imran Budlender

Ingrid Gavshon

Irwin Manoim

Isa-Lee Jacobson

Isabella Kentridge

Isabella Levitas 

Ishvara Dayan

Ivan Strasburg

Jack Lewis

Jack Fine

Jackie Maris

Jacob Wheeldon

Jacob Hoffman

Jacob Claassens

Jacques de Satgé

Jacqui Benson-Mabombo

Jaimen Brown

Jake Lipman

James Bernstein

Janet Lubner

Janine Simon-Meyer

Jaqui Perkes

Jarah Fluxman

Jared Chaitowitz

Jarred Srot

Jarred Durbach

Jay Goldstuck

Jay Savage

Jayden Simons

Jean Cohen

Jeanette Isaacman

Jeanne Freed

Jeff Rudin

Jeffrey Meyer

Jemma Meintjies

Jenifer Rabinowitz

Jenna Searra

Jenna Bass

Jenna Jacobson

Jennifer Pogrund

Jenny Perkel

Jenny Wheeldon

Jered Shorkend

Jeremy Baskin

Jeremy Phillips

Jess Stillerman

Jess Auerbach

Jesse Harber

Jessica Sherman

Jessica Mayson

Jessica Horler

Jessica Wengrowe

Jessie Ayles

Jessie Lewis

Jessie Lazar Knott

Jill Thorne

Jill Schlachter

Jill Strelitz

Jillian Edelstein

Jo Silbert

Joceyln Freed

Jodi Wishnia

Jodie Dwolatzky

Joe Turpin

Joel Bolnick

Joel Simons

Joey Hasson

Johannes Dieterich

John Festenstein

Jonah Sack

Jonathan Berger

Jonathan Bloch

Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Fluxman

Jonathan Weinberg

Jonathan Gevisser

Jonathan Yach

Jonny Steinberg

Jos Thorne

Joseph Goldblatt

Joseph Weinberg

Joseph Power

Joseph Sweijd

Joshua Maserow

Joshua Marcus

Joshua Gordon

Joshua Davis

Joshua Hartford

Joshua Lapid

Joshua Sehoole

Joshua Lipman

Joshua Hovsha

Joshua Blacher

Joy Sapieka

Judy Brown

Judy Favish

Judy Weis

Julia Chaskalson

Julia Shapiro

Julia Michalow

Julian Reitstein

Juliette Rose-Innes

Justin van Zyl

Justine Shear

Kabir Budlender

Kagiso Makgalemele

Kai Lockstone

Karin Brodie

Karina Turok

Karyn Levy-Philipp

Kate van Niekerk

Kate Abramovitz

Kathy Barolsky

Katy Menell

Katya Broomberg

Kayla Brown

Ke-tu-rah Zizipho Dhlamini

Keiran Peacock

Keith Witelson

Keith Gottschalk

Kelly Rosenthal

Kelly Kropman

Kelsey Shapiro

Kelsy Arden

Keren Setton

Kerry Petrie

Kevin Levy

Kevin Posen

Kevin Goldstein

Kezia Lilenstein

Kieran Brown

Kim Sacks

Kim Segel

Kira Gimpel

Kira Stone

Kira Schlesinger

Kristin Henry

Kyla-Rose Smith

Kylie Thomas

Larry Jasven

Larry Strelitz

Laura Czerniewicz

Laura Phillips

Laura Markovitz

Laura Chittenden

Laura Wener

Lauren Bock

Laurence Hamburger

Laurice Taitz-Buntman

Laurie Nathan

Leigh Whitesman

Leila Strelitz

Leila Bloch

Leila Stein

Leila Emdon

Leon Saven

Leon Levy

Leon Jacobson

Leonard Solms

Leslie London

Leslie Witz

Leslie Swartz

Lexi Ryman

Liane Durra

Liat Davis

Lilian Kaplan

Lily Manoim

Linda Cooper

Linzi Lewis

Linzi Fredman

Lionel Krause

Lisa Espi

Lisa Seftel

Lisa Segal

Lody Levy

Lorna Levy

Lorraine Levine

Louis Marcus Finn

Louisa Carman

Louise Renton

Louise Spitz

Luke Kaplan

Lula Grant

Lynda Levetan

Lyndall Gordon

Lynn Radford

Lynne Slonimsky

Madeleine Bazil

Maia Zway

Maia Lehr-Sacks

Mandy Barnett

Mani Kuti-Alexander

Marc Suttner

Margaret Green

Margaret Auerbach

Margie Gelb

Marilyn Jones

Marion Isaacs

Marissa Rollnick

Mark Fleishman

Mark Gevisser

Mark Saacks

Mark Orkin

Mark Steinbuch

Mark Jacobson

Mark Kaplan

Maryke Sher

Maureen Isaacson

Maureen Robinson

Max Ozinsky

Maxine Rubin

Maya Schkolne

Maya Aberman

Maya Marshak

Maya Goldman

Maya Super

Megan Bryer

Megan Choritz

Megan Lang

Meghan Finn

Melanie Judge

Melanie Horwitz

Melanie Chait

Melanie Hall

Melanie Samson

Melinda Silverman

Melissa Levin

Melvyn Freeman

Merle Favis

Merle Jawitz

Mervyn Bennun

Mervyn Sloman

Mia Candy

Mia Altbeker

Micaela Browde

Michael Moss

Michael Weinberg

Michael Kaplan

Michael Friedman

Michael Markovitz

Michael Hurwitz

Michael Levin

Michaela Verity

Michele Stein

Michelle Friedman

Michelle Adler Rogoff

Michelle Laufer

Mila Heneck

Miriam Altman

Mischa Blecher

Mitch Said

Mitchel Joffe Hunter

Moira Levy

Monique Horwitz

Monique Marks

Naashon Zalk

Nadia Randera

Nadia Dollie

Nadya Cohen

Nancy Krisch

Naomi Marshak

Natasha Pincus

Nathan Nadler-Nir

Nathan Eisen

Neil Tabatznik

Nelson Miranda

Neva Makgetla

Nic Fine

Nicholas Budlender

Nicholas Eppel

Nicholas Fine

Nick Groll

Nicky Falkof

Nicola Galombik

Nicola Soekoe

Nicole Franco

Nimi Hoffmann

Nimrod Zalk

Nina Barnett

Nina Frank

Nina Lang

Nina Abrahams

Nina Bloch

Noa Abramovitz

Noah Lubinsky

Noga Watt

Nompilo Sibisi

Olivia Welte

Orli Setton

Orrie Staschen

Pam Meyerowitz

Pam Britt

Pat Sidley

Patti Silbert

Paul Weinberg

Paul Mesarcik

Paul Hendler

Pearl Jantjies

Pedro Tabensky

Penny Smith

Peta Becker

Peter Mayson

Peter Barron

Peter Cohen

Peter Jaspan

Peter J Cooper

Philip Krause

Philip Miller

Phillipa Reinders

Phoebe Saacks

Phoenix Pincus

Pierre Dane

Pippa Segall

Rachel Balsham

Rachel Weisz

Rachel Catzel

Rafael Friedman

Rafael Lubner

Raleen Bagg

Ran Greenstein

Raphael Chaskalson

Raphael Segerman

Raymond Suttner

Raymond Brown

Rebecca Metz Ross

Rebecca Swartz

Rebecca Bradlow

Rebecca Sher

Rebecca Segall

Renay Weiner

Renee Usdin

Renée Bishop

Ribka Berhanu

Richard Kuper

Richard Levin

Richard Kaplan

Rifke Gellman

Riley Grant

Rina King 

Robert Krause

Robert Schroder

Robert Freeman

Robin Scher

Robin Cohen

Robin Catzel

Robyn Fischhoff

Roland Dubb

Roland Kesler

Ronnie Simons

Ronnie Kasrils

Rosa Elk

Rosa Manoim

Rosamine Hayeem

Rosemund Handler

Roslyn Fish

Ross Engers

Roy Hunter

Ruby Wheeldon

Ruby Lapid

Ruby de Lanerolle

Russell Soffer

Ruth Morgan

Ruth Sacks

Ruth Carneson

Ruth Urson

Ruth Reichman

Ruth Nowosenetz

Ruth Cornick

Ryan Kaplan

Ryan Goldblatt

Sally Suttner

Sam Kentridge

Samantha Brener

Samir Gelb

Samuel Turpin

Samuel Shapiro

Sandra Caganoff

Sandra Kay

Sandy Chaitowitz

Sandy Paul

Sandy Szapira

Sarah Adcock

Sarah Zinn

Sarron Goldman

Saul Musker

Saul Johnson

Savanah Abramovitz

Sean Wasserman

Serna Kramer

Shannon Bernhardt

Sharon Fonn

Sharon Cort

Shaun Reznik

Shawn Slovo

Shayni Geffen

Sheila Barsel

Shelley Epstein

Shelley Bass

Shereen Usdin

Sigall Keify

Simeon Lilenstein

Simon Kaplinsky

Simon Shear

Simona Stone

Simone Petousis

Simone Honikman

Simone Shall

Simone Hoffmann

Simonne Horwitz

Sivan Zeffertt

Solly Levy

Sonia Horwitz

Sonja Woolff

Sonya Cotton

Sophie Hunter

Sophie Crawford

Sophie Douglas

Stacey Gibson

Stanley Ginsburg

Stephen Marcus Finn

Stephen Gelb

Stephen Cheifitz

Stephen Laufer

Steve Kahanovitz

Steven Fluxman

Steven Goldblatt

Steven Robins

Steven Markovitz

Steven Wolf

Steven Bradlow

Steven Budlender

Su Lubner

Sue Fawcus

Sue Pam-Grant

Sue Davidoff

Sue Isserow

Sue Kaplan

Sue Goldstein

Sue Starfield

Sue Rabkin

Suzy Bernstein

Sydelle Willow Smith

Tali Cassidy

Talia Simons

Talia Mayson

Talya Lubinsky

Talya Stein

Tanya Layne

Tanya Cohen

Tara Weinberg

Tariq Blecher

Terry Shakinovsky

Terry Kurgan

Tess Peacock

Tessa Abramovitz

Tessa Gordon

Tessa Dagut

Tevya Turok Shapiro

Tiffany Markman

Timothy Fish Hodgson

Toker Beverley

Tony Carr

Tony Fluxman

Tony Lachman

Tony Kaplan

Tracy Cohen

Trevor Sacks

Trevor Rosenfield

Trevor Bernhardt

Trevor Shapiro 

Tymon Smith

Vanessa Barolsky

Vicki Davidoff

Vicky Alhadeff

Warren Wilensky

Warren Nebe

Weez Bramwell

Wendy Newstadt

William Kentridge

Yair Schkolne

Yda Walt

Yoni Bass

Yuval Nicolas Douglas Henshilwood

Yvonne Shapiro

Zandi Sherman

Zara Tonkil

Zara Julius 

*Original letter had 5 November figures, current letter displays figures for 14 November, used at publication as per https://www.ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-reported-impact-day-39

Source.