Open Letter from University Presidents

Prime Minister Netanyahu,

We, the undersigned Presidents of five Israeli universities, call on you to instruct the IDF and other security forces to intensify efforts to address the severe hunger crisis currently afflicting the Gaza Strip, regardless of the heavy responsibility borne by Hamas and other culpable parties. This crisis is causing immense harm to innocent civilians, including children and infants.

Alongside a growing segment of the Israeli public, we observe with shock the harrowing scenes emerging daily from Gaza, where hunger and disease continue to claim the lives of the most vulnerable. While the release of hostages and the safeguarding of our soldiers remain critical national objectives, we must, as a nation shaped by the trauma of the Holocaust, uphold our moral duty and do all we can to prevent cruel, indiscriminate harm to non-combatant men, women, and children.

We are appalled by recent statements issued by ministers and members of the Knesset advocating for the intentional destruction of Gaza and the forced displacement of its civilian population. We expect from you and from the government a clear and unequivocal condemnation of such harmful statements.  According to the considered judgments of prominent legal experts within Israel and the international community, these proposals would constitute serious violations of international law, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity.  Deliberate destruction and the plan to create a “humanitarian city” reflect a loss of moral restraint from which we would not be able to absolve ourselves.

In light of the above, we emphatically call upon you to act with decisiveness and clarity to save lives, while upholding Israel’s ethical and humanitarian obligations.

With all due consideration,

Prof. Alon Chen, President of the Weizmann Institute of Science

Prof. Asher Cohen, President of the Hebrew University

Prof. Leo Corry, President of the Open University of Israel

Prof. Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University

Prof. Uri Sivan, President of the Technion