RHR-NA delegation visits Israeli embassy about Operation Cast Lead

Read Rabbi Ellen Lippmann's Op-Ed in the New York Jewish Week about the visit.

Last week, a delegation from Rabbis for Human Rights-North America travelled to the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC to meet with Galit Baram and discuss with her our concerns regarding allegations of war crimes during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza raised in the Goldstone Commission Report as well as by other independent investigators. We presented her with our letter to President Peres and Prime Minister Netanyahu requesting the State of Israel establish an independent and impartial investigatory body to look into these allegations. Our delegation consisted of Co-Chair Rabbis Ellen Lippmann, Co-Chair Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, Vice-Chair Rabbis Chuck Feinberg, Board member Rabbi Sid Schwarz and Executive Director Steven Gerber. We await a response from the Government of Israel. Later, Rabbi Lippmann spoke about the letter and our embassy visit at the J Street conference, and asked the first question, during the conference plenary session that involved Jeremy Ben Ami and Rabbi Eric Yoffie in conversation and debate. Since the conference, we have created an ad from our letter which will be in a special edition of the Forward given out at the General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities next week. There is still time to sign the letter (click here) and donate money to support the ad.