Dozens of elected representatives within Britain’s largest Jewish community organization have taken the unprecedented step of condemning the Israeli government’s escalating extremism, marking a significant shift in diaspora discourse amid Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza. In a public letter signed by 36 deputies from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, concerns were raised over the growing authoritarianism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, the mass civilian casualties in Gaza, and what they describe as the transformation of the Israeli police into a political militia.

The letter, published just days after Israel effectively annexed Rafah, signals the first collective dissent by current board members against the Israeli government’s military campaign since it began 18 months ago. While previous criticism of Israeli policies has often come from the fringes of organized Jewish institutions, this time the pushback is coming from within, with several senior board members signing on.

Among the signatories is Harriett Goldenberg, vice-chair of the board’s international division, who wrote that her decision to speak out was driven by the erosion of values she had once considered central to the Israeli state. She and others noted that silence in the face of the current actions could no longer be interpreted as neutrality, but as complicity.

The letter denounces the ongoing siege of Gaza, the rising death toll among civilians, and the worsening humanitarian catastrophe. It also references attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank and what the deputies describe as a judicial system being weaponized to entrench far-right power.

While the Board of Deputies has historically maintained strong ties to Israel and refrained from public criticism of its governments, the letter suggests a growing rift within British Jewry over what many now see as an abandonment of democratic norms and Jewish ethical tradition. The authors emphasize that criticism of the Israeli government should not be conflated with opposition to the Israeli people or the Jewish state itself, but instead reflects a defense of Jewish values and the rule of law.

The statement also calls for an immediate ceasefire, the delivery of unrestricted humanitarian aid, the return of hostages, and renewed commitment to a political solution that includes justice for Palestinians. The letter stops short of endorsing specific policy outcomes such as a two-state solution but stresses the urgent need for de-escalation and accountability.

Reactions to the letter have been mixed. Some members of the Board have welcomed the move as overdue, while others have expressed concern that it may divide the community or be weaponized by anti-Israel activists. However, the depth and breadth of support among current deputies, rather than former members or external commentators, underscores a notable internal reckoning.

This moment of dissent also aligns with a broader trend among diaspora Jewish communities in the United States, Australia, and parts of Europe, where organized Jewish voices have increasingly spoken out against Israeli policies they believe are incompatible with liberal democratic values.

In Israel, the Netanyahu government has continued its operations in Gaza despite international warnings and ongoing calls from the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to stop the ground invasion. Civilian infrastructure in Gaza remains devastated, and tens of thousands remain displaced. The Israeli Prime Minister has dismissed international criticism as anti-Semitic and portrayed dissent as betrayal.

For many of the UK deputies who signed the letter, the moral calculus has shifted. No longer willing to remain silent, they now say that raising their voices is both an obligation and an act of solidarity—not only with Palestinians facing bombardment but also with Israelis whose democracy and future, they believe, are under threat from within.