Former Canadian Liberal justice minister Irwin Cotler has lit a political firestorm by siding with thousands of Jews demanding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pull the plug on the Gaza war and lift what they call crushing restrictions on aid.
Cotler, once celebrated as one of Israel’s fiercest defenders and a man who faced death threats from Iran for standing up to its regime, is now accusing Netanyahu of wrecking Israel’s reputation and endangering peace at home and abroad.
The blistering letter, organized by the London Initiative, brands Israel’s aid blockade a moral and strategic disaster. It claims the policy is handing Hamas a propaganda jackpot, wrecking global support for Israel, and sabotaging the fight against both Hamas and Iran. The signatories admit Hamas steals aid but insist Israel’s own actions are driving appalling suffering.
They slam the government for letting settler violence spiral out of control, accusing Netanyahu of turning a blind eye while extremists attack Palestinians. They say Israel’s military could stop it instantly the same way it can put a missile through a window in Tehran if the order was given.
The fury does not stop there. Ministers are accused of spewing racist and incendiary rhetoric, with Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu’s call to “erase Gaza” singled out as a moral outrage and a betrayal of Jewish values.
Canadian billionaire Charles Bronfman and a lineup of professors and activists also signed, stressing they speak for themselves but leaving no doubt they want Netanyahu to feel the heat.
Netanyahu has ignored the letter so far, using a weekend speech to vow that Israel will keep fighting until Hamas is wiped off the map.
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