A new coalition calling itself the “pro-human” camp, led by Amnesty International Israel, published a letter declaring their commitment to something we wish were obvious: to fighting the dehumanization of Gazans, Palestinians, and Muslims as well as of Israelis and Jews. Among the letters signatories are film director Nadav Lapid, film director Ari Folman, actress Shira Geffen, choreographer Ohad Naharin, and author David Grossman; NIF International Board Members Yael Sternhell, and Yossi Dahan; Former NIF International Board Member Achinoam Nini; NIF US VP for Public Engagement Libby Lenkinski, NIF International Council Members Tomer and Barak Heymann; human rights lawyer Michael Sfard; Executive Director of Yesh Din Ziv Stahl; Co-Executive Director of the Abraham Initiatives Thabet Abu Rass; Executive Director of Breaking the Silence Avner Gvaryahu; Executive Director of Rabbis for Human Rights Avi Dabush; and Executive Director of B’Tselem Yuli Novak.
“The dehumanization of Israelis and Jews,” the letter reads, “as well as Palestinians and Muslims, is unacceptable. A person is not merely a representation of a collective identity, history, events, or political orientation. A consistent humanistic approach must address all these unacceptable developments.“ We couldn’t agree more.