A Message from Our Executive Director

A Message from Our Executive Director: April 15th, 2024

Partners for Progressive Israel is deeply alarmed by the events of this weekend, firstly the unprecedented attack on Israel by Iran. This vast majority of this bombardment of rockets and drones were thankfully intercepted and neutralized, and we are grateful for the international coalition of regional and international partners — including Jordan, the US, France, and Britain — whose cooperation made this possible. 

We recognize that this attack arrived in the context of ongoing decades of tension and low-grade proxy conflict between Israel and Iran, and that the Iranian government has framed their decision to attack in response to the recent Israeli bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Nevertheless, this weekend’s bombardment represents a serious escalation on the part of the Iranian government. 

Our hearts are with the family and community of the seven year old Bedouin girl who is recovering from severe wounds after this attack, the first direct attack on Israel by a state in over thirty years.

We also witnessed with fear the events of this weekend in the West Bank where, concurrent to the anxiety of Iran’s missile and drone attack, residents mourned the death of a fourteen year old Jewish settler who had been reported missing. Investigations into his disappearance and death are ongoing, but many settlers responded through attempts to terrorize the Palestinian community across several villages through setting fires, property and infrastructure damage, and physically injuring multiple people. 

In Gaza, the humanitarian crisis continues to escalate with over 33,000 Palestinians killed —two thirds of whom are understood to be women and children — and the lack of sufficient aid continues to push the population towards famine. 

In this moment of crisis, we urge regional deescalation, and continue to seek a hostage deal and bilateral ceasefire. Occupation and further ideological investment in supremacy and chauvinism by the Netanyahu government will deliver only isolation and additional destruction. The regional coordination demonstrated in response to Iran’s attack provides a window into a vision for broader regional cooperation between Israel and its Arab state neighbors, the fruition of decades of peacebuilding agreements pursued by Israel and its partners. In this moment we feel it is clear that peace and diplomacy are what bring security, not the other way around. 

Rabbi Margo Hughes-Robinson

Rabbi Margo Hughes-Robinson is the Executive Director of Partners for Progressive Israel