In a powerful plea to end the ongoing conflict, 350 prominent figures from Israel’s literary community have united in a call to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to stop the war and secure the release of the 59 remaining hostages.
The open letter, signed by esteemed authors, poets, editors, translators, illustrators, and other literary professionals, includes notable names such as David Grossman, Shifra Horn, Fania Oz-Salzberger, Yehoshua Sobol, Ilan Sheinfeld, and Zeruya Shalev.
The statement condemns Netanyahu’s approach to the hostage crisis and the war, “Hamas has offered a deal for returning hostages, prisoner release, and a ceasefire. The prime minister outlined a phased deal but has done everything possible for the past seventeen months to thwart the agreement, fearing the war’s end would mean the end of his rule—and his freedom as a criminal defendant,” stated the letter.
The signatories accuse the prime minister of putting his personal interests ahead of national wellbeing, “For the sake of his liberty, fearful of incarceration for his pending indictments, the prime minister continues to rob the hostages of their freedom, endanger IDF soldiers, and inflict disproportionate harm on Gaza’s civilian population — all while escalating a constitutional coup within Israel,” they write.
They argue that these actions betray the ethical and democratic foundations of the Israeli state, stating, “In doing so, the prime minister is violating the most fundamental values of a just society and democratic nation, as well as the founding principles of Israel’s Declaration of Independence. He is eroding mutual responsibility, equality, and justice, and turning us from equal citizens in a functioning democracy into subjects of an authoritarian theocracy — where we are obligated to serve in the army, sacrifice our children to the ruling idol, but are denied equal rights, mutual responsibility, and the justice and security a democratic state owes its citizens.”
Highlighting hypocrisy in military service obligations, the authors also criticize the government’s stance on reservists, noting, “The prime minister has railed against the supposed refusal of certain reservists to serve, but he and his ministers are legally and financially enabling sweeping exemption from service for the ultra-Orthodox, allowing them to shirk responsibility for Israel’s security and future.”
The letter concludes with a heartfelt call for peace and accountability, “This war endangers the lives of IDF soldiers, of the hostages, and causes horrific suffering for helpless civilians in Gaza,” write the authors. “The acts being committed in Gaza and the occupied territories are not done in our name, but they will be on our account. We call on you to immediately stop the war, to return all the hostages home, and to chart a future international and agreed-upon path for Gaza.”
Underscoring their deep connection to the nation, the signatories emphasize that many among them have served in the Israeli Defense Forces and contributed to shaping Israel’s cultural and literary heritage.
