AMERICAN JEWISH LEADERS URGE PM NETANYAHU TO ADOPT LEVY REPORT

More than sixty-five American Jewish leaders signed a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged him to adopt the findings of the Levy Report, which asserts that the "settlements" in Judea and Samaria are legal in accordance with international law.

The report, which was authored by a panel of renowned Israeli jurists comprised of Supreme Court justice Edmond Levy, former Foreign Ministry legal adviser Alan Baker, and former deputy president of the Tel Aviv District Court Tehiya Shapira, recommends against the future demolition of communities that had been deemed to be "illegal outposts."

The letter endorsing the Levy Report, which was spearheaded by Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Executive Vice President, Emeritus of the National Council of Young Israel, is signed by dozens of prominent Jewish leaders from across the United States, with additional people joining in support of the letter daily.

"As the Levy Report correctly notes, Israel is not engaged in 'military occupation' in relation to the communities in Judea and Samaria," the American Jewish leaders wrote in their letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu.  "We believe that this conclusion vindicates the Israeli government, which has been unjustifiably vilified by many in the international community, simply because there are Jews living in this particular area of the Jewish State."

"Like you, we recognize and respect the fact that the Jewish people have inalienable rights to the land of Israel which stem from the Bible, and we are familiar with the historic legacy of the movement of Ze'ev Jabotinsky, Menachem Begin, and Herut/Likud, which you now lead, that has long endorsed Jewish rights in the entirety of the land of Israel," continued the Jewish leaders.  "Viewing it from this perspective, the Levy Report confirms what we all know to be true and just, and it certainly warrants your support and endorsement."

In addition to expressing their staunch support of the Levy Report, the American Jewish leaders urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to reject the claims about the report that were set forth in a recent letter organized by the Israel Policy Forum.

"In our opinion, the individuals who have urged you not to accept the findings of the Levy Report under the pretext that Israel's status as a Jewish and democratic state could somehow be compromised by its adoption are doing a disservice to the State of Israel," the American Jewish leaders wrote in their letter to the Prime Minister.  "Despite assertions to the contrary, the conclusions of the Levy Report do not 'place...the prestige of Israel as a democratic member of the international community, in peril.'  We categorically reject this absurd declaration and sincerely hope and pray that you do the same."

The following is the text of the letter and the complete list of signatories.  The organizations are for identification purposes only.

August 2, 2012

Honorable Benjamin Netanyahu

Office of the Prime Minister

3 Kaplan Street

P.O. Box 187

Kiryat Ben-Gurion

Jerusalem, Israel 91950

Dear Prime Minister Netanyahu:

We write to you in support of the recent report issued by the Levy Committee.  We welcome the report's findings and greatly appreciate the thorough process and honest approach undertaken by the well-respected legal professionals tasked with authoring this study.

We are heartened by the Levy Report's finding that the "settlements" in Judea and Samaria are completely legal under international law, and we are encouraged that the report recommends against the future demolition of communities that had been deemed to be "illegal outposts."

As the Levy Report correctly notes, Israel is not engaged in "military occupation" in relation to the communities in Judea and Samaria.  We believe that this conclusion vindicates the Israeli government, which has been unjustifiably vilified by many in the international community, simply because there are Jews living in this particular area of the Jewish State.

Those who have repeatedly leveled criticisms at Israel for its willingness to sanction the "settlements" inexplicably ignore the fact that there are approximately 350,000 Jews residing in vibrant communities throughout Judea and Samaria, most of whom make immeasurable contributions to Israeli society.  Playing politics with the lives and futures of these tens of thousands of families, comprising hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens, is absolutely shameful and wholly unacceptable.

In our opinion, the individuals who have urged you not to accept the findings of the Levy Report under the pretext that Israel's status as a Jewish and democratic state could somehow be compromised by its adoption are doing a disservice to the State of Israel.

Despite assertions to the contrary, the conclusions of the Levy Report do not "place...the prestige of Israel as a democratic member of the international community, in peril."  We categorically reject this absurd declaration and sincerely hope and pray that you do the same.

It is not the responsibility of the State of Israel to appease the United Nations or other entities whose interests run counter to the best interests of the Jewish State.  We know that your government has not, and will not, mollify those who repeatedly have sought to delegitimize the State of Israel.

We fully understand that you work diligently, day in and day out, to ensure that the citizens of Israel are safe and that their interests are duly protected.   We deeply appreciate your ongoing support of the citizens of the scores of communities throughout Judea and Samaria and your continuous efforts to enable them to live their lives fully and freely in their respective homes.

We all owe it to future generations to stand up now for the right and the reality of having the entirety of the Land of Israel, including Judea, Samaria, and all of Jerusalem, for our Jewish People.

Like you, we recognize and respect the fact that the Jewish people have inalienable rights to the land of Israel which stem from the Bible, and we are familiar with the historic legacy of the movement of Ze'ev Jabotinsky, Menachem Begin, and Herut/Likud, which you now lead, that has long endorsed Jewish rights in the entirety of the land of Israel.  Viewing it from this perspective, the Levy Report confirms what we all know to be true and just, and it certainly warrants your support and endorsement.

We urge you to adopt the findings of the Levy Report, thereby formally validating the status of the Jewish communities of Judea and Samaria as a true part of the State of Israel within the purview of the Israeli government.

Very truly yours,

Rabbi David Algazi

Congregation Havurat Yisrael

President, World Committee for the Land of Israel

Forest Hills, NY

Richard Allen

Founder

JCCWatch.org

New York, NY

Rabbi Moshe Averick

Board, Rabbinical Council of America

Chicago, IL

Marvin S. Belsky, M.D.

Human Rights Coalition Against Radical Islam

New York, NY

Rabbi Mordechai Cohen

Milwaukee, WI

Rabbi Yochanan Davis

Rabbinical Alliance of America

Brooklyn, NY

Michael Dobrin

National Council on Jewish Affairs

Nashville, TN

Rabbi Yisroel Edelman

Young Israel Deerfield Beach

Deerfield Beach, FL

Fred Ehrman

New York, NY

Rabbi David Eliezrie

North County Chabad Center

President, Rabbinical Council of Orange County

Yorba Linda, CA

Gary Erlbaum

Board Member

Federation of Greater Philadelphia

Ardmore, PA

Rabbi Dov Fischer

Young Israel of Orange County

Irvine, CA

Stephen M. Flatow

Terror Victims Right's Activist

West Orange, NJ

Joseph Frager, MD

Chairman, World Committee for the Land of Israel

Jamaica Estates, NY

Helen Freedman

Executive Director

Americans for a Safe Israel

New York, NY

Michael Gerbitz

United with Israel

Lawrence, NY

Beth Gilinsky

Executive Director

National Conference on Jewish Affairs

New York, NY

Dr. Chanania Gang

Vice President

Religious Zionists of America

Yonkers, NY

Dr. Jonathan Gold

Americans For a Safe Israel

Passaic, NJ

Steven M. Goldberg, Esq.

National Vice Chairman

Zionist Organization of America

Los Angeles, CA

Beverly A. Goldstein, Ph.D.

Co-chair, Cuyahoga Valley Republican Club

Beachwood, OH

Michael S. Goldstein, Esq.

President, Northern Ohio Chapter, Association for Intelligence Officers

Beachwood, OH

Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer

New York, NY

Marvin Green, President

Hunter Green Associates

New York, NY

Rabbi Yonah Gross

Congregation Beth Hamedrosh

Wynnewood, PA

Rabbi Abraham B. Hecht

Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Sharre Zion

President, Rabbinical Alliance of America

Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Yehoshua S. Hecht

Beth Israel of Westport/Norwalk

President, Rabbinical Council of Connecticut

Norwalk, CT

Rabbi Yonoson Hirtz

Utopia Jewish Center

Fresh Meadows, NY

Odeleya Jacobs

Vice President Media Relations

World Committee for the Land of Israel

Flushing, NY

Rabbi Ari Jacobson

Young Israel of Monsey and Wesley Hills

Monsey, NY

Chaim Kaminetzky

Past President

National Council of Young Israel

Flushing, NY

Sharad Karkhanis, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus, City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY

Stuart Kaufman

National Conference on Jewish Affairs

Great Neck, NY

Ruth King

Executive Committee

Editorial Board OUTPOST

American for a Safe Israel

New York, NY

Jay Knopf

Executive Board, The Hebron Fund

Teaneck, NJ

Mara Kochba

Israel Cancer Research Fund

Los Angeles, CA

Rabbi Pesach Lerner

Executive Vice President, Emeritus

National Council of Young Israel

Far Rockaway, NY

Rabbi Reuven Mann

Young Israel of Phoenix

Phoenix, AZ

Lori Lowenthal Marcus

President, Z STREET

Philadelphia, PA

Alan A. Mazurek, MD

Former Chairman, ZOA National Board

Assistant Clinical Professor, Neurology

Mount Sinai Medical Center, NYC

Great Neck, NY

Yaniv Meirov

CHAZAQ Organization

Queens, NY

Julio Messer

Past President, American Friends of Likud

New York, NY

Cherna Moskowitz

Miami Beach, FL

Shlomo Mostofsky, Esq.

Immediate Past President

National Council of Young Israel

Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Yehuda L Oppenheimer

Young Israel of Forest Hills

Forest Hills, NY

Russel Pergament

Boston, MA

Gerald Platt

President, American Friends of Likud

New York, NY

Rozanne Polansky

Executive Board

Young Israel of North Bellmore

North Bellmore, NY

Rabbi Steven Pruzansky

Congregation B'nai Yeshurun

Teaneck, NJ

Susan L. Rosenbluth

Editor and Publisher

The Jewish Voice and Opinion

Englewood, NJ

Rabbi Dov Schreier

Young Israel of North Bellmore

North Bellmore, NY

Sheldon Schreiner

Chairman of the Board

National Council of Young Israel

Plainview, NY

Harvey Schwartz

Chairman

American Israeli Action Coalition

Woodmere, NY

Rabbi Ze'ev Smason

Nusach Hari Bnai Zion Congregation

St. Louis, MO

Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Scher

Beit Midrash Kol Beramah

Santa Fe, NM

Josef Silny

Miami, FL

Rabbi Moshe Snow

Young Israel Beth El Of Borough Park

Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Sroya Sorscher

Dean, Rabbi Jacob London Yeshiva

Brooklyn, NY

Sarah N. Stern

Founder and President

Endowment for Middle East Truth

Washington, DC

Rabbi Gershon Tannenbaum

Director, Rabbinical Alliance of America

Brooklyn, NY

Yitzchok Tenenbaum

Lechaim Charities

New York, NY

Howard Teich

New York, NY

Robin Ticker

American Friends for a Safe Israel

Brooklyn, NY

Stanley Treitel

American Friends of the Jerusalem Conference

Los Angeles, CA

Farley Weiss

President, Young Israel of Phoenix

1st Vice President, National Council of Young Israel

National Vice President, ZOA

Phoenix, AZ

Dr. Rina Yarmish

Chairperson, Mathematics & Computer Science

City University of New York, Kingsborough

New York, NY