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For most Jewish Americans, whatever their political persuasion, support for Israel has been a bedrock principle. Thus it鈥檚 notable that a broad swath of U.S. Jews 鈥� reacting to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza 鈥� have been urging the Israeli government to do more to ensure the delivery of food and medicine.

There is no overwhelming consensus. On the left, some U.S. Jews contend that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 government is guilty of genocide. On the right, some conservative Jewish news outlets have suggested that the widely verified food crisis in Gaza is a hoax.

What is clear is that the ranks of American Jews alarmed by the current conditions in Gaza have swelled and now include major organizations that customarily avoid critiques of Israeli policies.

What are major Jewish organizations saying?

The American Jewish Committee 鈥� a prominent advocacy group that strives to broadly represent Jews in the U.S. and abroad 鈥� stressed in its statement that it 鈥渟tands with Israel in its justified war to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas.鈥�

鈥淎t the same time, we feel immense sorrow for the grave toll this war has taken on Palestinian civilians, and we are deeply concerned about worsening food insecurity in Gaza,鈥� said the AJC, urging Israel and other key parties 鈥渢o increase cooperation and coordination in order to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”

The Rabbinical Assembly, a New York-based organization representing rabbis of the Conservative Movement, sounded a similar note.

鈥淓ven as we believe Hamas could end this suffering immediately through the release of the hostages and care for its civilian population, the Israeli government must do everything in its power to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need,鈥� the assembly said. 鈥淭he Jewish tradition calls upon us to ensure the provision of food, water, and medical supplies as a top priority.

Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, told The Associated Press he and his colleagues 鈥渁re proud, sad, and angry. 鈥�

鈥淲e remain proud of Israel and its army, the only moral fighting force in the region striving to abide by internationally accepted laws of war,鈥� he said via email. 鈥淲e are genuinely sad about the mounting human costs which 鈥� as intended by Hamas 鈥� this war is inflicting on Israelis and innocent Palestinians. And we are angry at those who only ascribe to Israel the worst intentions and all responsibility while ignoring Hamas鈥� inhumanity.鈥�

Of major nationwide organizations, perhaps the most vehement statement came from the Reform Jewish Movement, which represents the largest branch of Judaism in the U.S.

鈥淗amas has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to sacrifice the Palestinian people in its pursuit of Israel鈥檚 destruction, but Israel must not sacrifice its own moral standing in return,鈥� the Reform statement said.

鈥淣o one should be unaffected by the pervasive hunger experienced by thousands of Gazans,鈥� it continued. 鈥淣or should we accept arguments that because Hamas is the primary reason many Gazans are either starving or on the verge of starving, that the Jewish State is not also culpable in this human disaster.鈥�

Rabbis share their thoughts

Over the past few weeks, as images and reports of starvation and violence in Gaza dominated the news cycle, Rabbi Jon Roos felt a shift in how the Israel-Hamas war is discussed in Jewish circles.

鈥淭here was a real change in the tone of the conversation, but also in the depth and content of it,鈥� said Roos, who leads Temple Sinai, a Reform synagogue in Washington, D.C. 鈥淚 felt it from members of the congregation. I鈥檝e felt it in the Jewish communal world.鈥�

The clergy of Temple Sinai with more than 1,000 Jewish clergy calling on the Israeli government to 鈥渁llow extensive humanitarian aid鈥� to enter Gaza. It stated that 鈥渨e cannot condone the mass killings of civilians 鈥� or the use of starvation as a weapon of war.鈥�

Roos said the Jewish community can hold two truths at once: that Oct. 7 was deplorable and so is the situation in Gaza.

鈥淥ne of the critical parts of Judaism is that we really value that ability to hold nuance and two truths, even if they鈥檙e both incredibly challenging and self-critical,鈥� Roos said.

Rabbi Aaron Weininger in Minnetonka, Minnesota, also signed the clergy letter. He leads Adath Jeshurun, a Conservative Jewish congregation.

鈥淶ionism is big enough and strong enough to care about the safety, wellbeing, and dignity of Israelis and Palestinians. Naming their suffering doesn鈥檛 weaken Zionism nor does calling on members of the government not to occupy Gaza. Signing the letter honors Zionism as compassionate and just,鈥� he wrote in an email.

The response of his community has been largely positive, with some disagreement 鈥� 鈥渂oth with the idea of publicly disagreeing with the Israeli government and with the characterization of suffering in Gaza,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淏ut taking moral stands and holding disagreement have always been part of what it means to be a faith community.鈥�

Voices of protest

On Tuesday, more than two dozen rabbis were arrested in the office of the Senate majority leader, John Thune, R-S.D., while demanding action by Congress to provide food aid for Gaza.

鈥淎ll life is sacred, but Palestinian lives are not treated as such, and that is a blot on our collective humanity,鈥� said one of the protesters, Alissa Wise, who is founding director of Rabbis for Ceasefire. 鈥淲e are here to insist on the sanctity of life of every Palestinian, of every Israeli, of all of us.鈥�

Also arrested was a New York-based rabbi, Andrue Kahn. He is executive director of the American Council for Judaism, which rejects the concept of Zionism.

In an email, Kahn said an increasing number of U.S. Jews, including rabbis, are now more willing to speak out about Gaza鈥檚 plight and demand policy changes from Israel.

鈥淭he horrors of starvation of so many people 鈥� has led to the dam bursting for many people, and the political spectrum of those speaking out has broadened,鈥� he wrote.

Defenders of Netanyahu鈥檚 policies

A Jewish member of Congress, Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., incurred criticism after suggesting in a post on X last week that the reports of a Gaza food crisis were false.

鈥淩elease the hostages. Until then, starve away. (This is all a lie anyway. It amazes me that the media continues to regurgitate Muslim terror propaganda.),鈥� his post said.

Two U.S.-based Jewish news outlets also have depicted the food crisis as exaggerated.

鈥淭he reality is clear 鈥� food and medicine are entering Gaza, but Hamas seizes them for its own purposes. The international community鈥檚 fixation on blaming Israel ignores this fundamental truth,鈥� said an article in The Jewish Voice.

Supplementing its news articles making similar points, the Jewish News Syndicate on Wednesday ran a column by Mitchell Bard, executive director of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise.

鈥淭rue supporters of Israel are not fair-weather friends who abandon their ally out of fear of what their friends will think of them or the need to feign moral superiority,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淚sraelis are not children in need of a public scolding from the Diaspora. They need solidarity, not sanctimony.鈥�

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.