Jewish figures call for sanctions against the occupation due to "genocide crimes" in Gaza.

More than 450 prominent Jewish figures around the world, including former Israeli officials, thinkers, and award-winning artists, have called for international sanctions against the Israeli occupation due to what they described as "unacceptable actions amounting to genocide" in the Gaza Strip.

This call came in an open letter addressed to the United Nations and world leaders, demanding accountability for the occupation's practices in Gaza, the West Bank, and occupied Jerusalem.

The letter, published by the British newspaper "The Guardian," coincided with a meeting of European Union leaders in Brussels, amid reports of some European countries intending to backtrack on proposals to impose sanctions on Tel Aviv due to its human rights violations.

The signatories stated in their letter: "We have not forgotten that the laws and international covenants established to protect human life were a response to the Holocaust, but Israel has systematically and repeatedly violated those guarantees."

The list of signatories included notable names such as Abraham Burg, former president of the Israeli Knesset, and Daniel Levy, a former Israeli negotiator in peace talks, alongside British writer Michael Rosen, Canadian Naomi Klein, Oscar-winning director Jonathan Glazer, American actor Wallace Shawn, Pulitzer Prize winner Benjamin Moser, as well as Emmy winners Ilana Glazer and Hannah Einbinder.

The signatories urged world leaders to adhere to the rulings of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, to avoid complicity in violations of international law by halting arms exports to the Israeli occupation and imposing targeted sanctions, while ensuring sufficient humanitarian aid reaches Gaza and rejecting false claims of anti-Semitism against voices calling for peace and justice.

The letter also stated: "We bow our heads in immeasurable sorrow, as evidence mounts that Israel's actions meet the legal definition of genocide."

The letter reflects a significant shift in public opinion within Jewish communities in the United States in recent years.

According to a poll by the "Washington Post," 61% of American Jews believe that the Israeli occupation has committed war crimes in Gaza, while 39% said it is committing genocide.

In another poll conducted by the Brookings Institution, 45% of Americans said they believe the occupation has committed genocide, while a Quinnipiac University poll last August revealed that half of American voters share the same view, including 77% of Democrats.

Among the other signatories of the letter are Israeli maestro Ilan Volkov, playwright V (formerly known as Eve Ensler), American comedian Eric Andre, Booker Prize-winning South African novelist Damon Galgut, Israeli journalist and Oscar-winning director Yuval Abraham, Tony Award winner Toby Marlow, and Israeli philosopher Omri Boim.

The signatories concluded their letter by stating: "Our solidarity with the Palestinians is not a betrayal of Judaism, but a realization of its essence. When our sages taught us that whoever destroys a human life is as if they have destroyed an entire world, they did not exclude the Palestinians. We will not rest until a ceasefire turns into an end to the occupation and apartheid."

Since October 7, 2023, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been martyred and at least 167,000 have been injured, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, while the United Nations estimates that about 90% of the population of the Strip has become internally displaced.

In a recent report, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley, following a field visit to the region last September, confirmed that the Israeli occupation has implemented "a systematic plan to destroy and forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza," warning of U.S. complicity in these crimes through its ongoing military and political support for Israel.

The report clarified that the occupation has nearly completely destroyed civilian infrastructure, used food as a weapon, and imposed systematic obstacles to the entry of humanitarian aid, in blatant violation of international humanitarian law.