World Jewish Congress chief warns Israeli leaders: Don’t let extremists define nation’s values

Writing in Arab News, Lauder called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government to “speak clearly” against statements that threaten both Israel’s values and its international relationships.

Lauder highlighted recent remarks by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who earlier this year called to “bury the idea of a Palestinian state.” In 2023, Smotrich also described Palestinians as “an invention” and demanded that the West Bank village of Huwara be “wiped out.” According to Lauder, such rhetoric “risks eroding Israel’s moral standing, weakening its diplomatic relationships and threatening the foundations of its security.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has also contributed to heightened tensions, declaring that his “rights in the Land of Israel are more important” than those of Palestinians and pushing for changes to the status quo on the Temple Mount. Lauder warned that “the cumulative effect of these statements is to strain Israel’s relationships with its allies, threaten its long-term security and make the path to coexistence more difficult for future generations.”

The consequences, Lauder argued, are already visible. “These statements provide adversaries with material to advance their own agendas, portraying Israel as resistant to peace and reinforcing cycles of radicalization”, he wrote. The US State Department has voiced disapproval, European leaders have expressed concern, and even states that signed the Abraham Accords have warned that such rhetoric could jeopardize progress toward regional normalization.

Lauder stressed that “the vast majority of Jews, both in Israel and throughout the diaspora, reject this form of extremism.” He insisted that such positions distract from legitimate security needs and “move the conversation away from pragmatic, peaceful solutions.” Instead, he recalled Theodor Herzl’s founding vision of Israel as “a state grounded in justice, coexistence and the highest civic values.”

Invoking the Torah’s commandment “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof — justice, justice you shall pursue”, Lauder concluded that history will judge whether Israel’s leaders chose “the path of vision, responsibility and unity” or whether they allowed the nation’s moral compass to be “surrendered to voices of division.”