We cannot be silent in the face of unchecked terror empowered by the state.
Sign on to demand an end to the devastating violence from both ICE at home and settler terrorists in the West Bank »
Friend,
I write with a heavy heart – as an American and an Israeli – disgusted by the out-of-control violence we are witnessing in both countries.
Many of us have seen the horrifying footage of 37-year-old Alex Pretti – a dedicated intensive care nurse and beloved member of his community – being shot and killed by ICE agents on the streets of Minneapolis.
This follows the shocking death, just weeks earlier, of 37-year-old Renée Good, killed during the same ICE operation.
Thousands of miles away, in the South Hebron Hills on the West Bank, we also see footage of dozens of masked settlers – not themselves official state actors, but empowered by the policies of an extremist government – beating Palestinian civilians with clubs and burning the homes of families who have lived there for generations.
Meanwhile, nearby, the Israeli Army stands by, not to protect the vulnerable, but to make sure no harm comes to the assailants.
These situations are not identical. In Minnesota, armed agents of the state are directly responsible for the lethal violence that is terrorizing entire communities. On the West Bank, armed settlers are protected and empowered by an extremist government that shields them from accountability.
But the through line connecting them is unmistakable: Violence goes unchecked when power is unconstrained, when those in authority fail to protect the vulnerable and when dehumanization replaces justice.
We’ve seen this pattern before.
We know where this goes.
As Jews, shaped by painful memories of what happens when lawlessness reigns and the power of the state is turned against vulnerable people, we must speak out.
We cannot allow such violence to be normalized – whether it comes at the hands of agents of the state using lethal force in our streets or rogue civilians emboldened by extremist ministers to displace entire communities in occupied territory. We must stand unequivocally for democracy, the rule of law and equal protections for all under the law.
This moment calls us to act.
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There must be no room for silence in the face of terror – state-sanctioned or otherwise. If we fail to speak up now, we risk repeating the darkest chapters of history.
With determination,
Adina Vogel-Ayalon
Vice President of Strategy and Programs, J Street
