More than 500 rabbis, cantors and Jewish communal leaders have signed onto a letter calling on Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, to rescind and apologize for remarks describing J Street as a “cancer within the Jewish community.”
The letter, which J Street shared with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, accuses Leiter, a Netanyahu appointee and former settler leader, of using language that “dehumanizes fellow Jews” during his remarks in Washington, DC, on Monday.
J Street is the leading liberal pro-Israel lobby and has increasingly staked out positions that have departed from other mainstream pro-Israel groups. Last month, the group announced its opposition to continued US military aid to Israel, which Leiter decried in his remarks.
The signatories write that while Judaism embraces vigorous debate, disagreements must be conducted with “humanity, humility and respect for the dignity of every Jew.”
“At this painful and polarized moment in Jewish life, leaders on both sides of the ocean bear a heightened responsibility to lower the flames rather than fan them further,” the letter reads. “We therefore call on you to retract your remarks and issue a public apology to the many American Jews, rabbis, cantors and communal leaders who have been hurt by them.”
Among the signatories are New York Representative Jerrold Nadler, former US ambassadors to Israel Daniel Kurtzer and Tom Nides, National Council of Jewish Women CEO Jody Rabhan, Union for Reform Judaism President Rabbi Rick Jacobs and Rabbi David Saperstein, the director emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.
The letter comes as Leiter’s predecessor as ambassador, Michael Herzog, says that J Street isn’t pro-Israel.
“To me, to be pro-Israel is to draw a clear line between criticizing Israeli government policies — and supporting anti-Israel agendas and libels de-legitimizing the State of Israel,” Herzog writes on X. “To be pro-Israel is to go from pronouncing support for Israel’s right to exist (thank you for the generosity…), to supporting the provision of the means critical to defending that very existence.”
He adds: “To be pro-Israel is to listen to Israelis; In our vibrant democracy, most Israelis share the view that j-street doesn’t qualify as pro-Israel.”