Editor's Postscript
- Leon Fine
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
Leon Fine
A few weeks prior to the scheduled date of release of the sixth issue of this magazine, Kaleidoscope was mentioned in an Haaretz article about an open letter calling out the alarming increase in deadly violence by Jewish settler extremists in the West Bank. Over the past five years, violent settler incidents against West Bank Palestinians have increased from an average of one to five per day.
This violence is not only morally shameful but a strategic threat to the future of Israel, the position of world Jewry, and the relationship of future generations with Israel. The violence has been strongly condemned by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir but, unfortunately, the current Israeli government appears to be condoning and even promoting it.
The open letter was organized by The London Initiative, founded by Sir Mick Davis, an ex-South African and former CEO of the British Conservative party, and Mike Prashker, a British-Israeli social activist. The transcript of a recent speech by Sir Mick appears in this issue of the magazine.
As reported by Haaretz, signatories on the letter include Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former British foreign secretary, Charles Bronfman, co-founder of Taglit-Birthright, and Canadian lawyer Stephen Pincus, founding chair of Kaleidoscope.
Hundreds of other readers of Kaleidoscope magazine also signed the letter, as well an open letter last August, calling on the Israeli Prime Minister, among other things, to end the Gaza war and bring the hostages home.
Letters like this can make a difference. Of course, pivotal events such as the hostage deal, are driven by a confluence of many factors, but persistent protests on the ground in Israel, supported by strong voices of leaders around the world, create the context and build the pressure that eventually force action by politicians.
