UNXEPTABLE CONDEMNS POGROMS BY JEWISH TERRORISTS AGAINST PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS IN THE WEST BANK

June 25, 2023 - Palo Alto, CA - UnXeptable, a grassroots movement launched by Israeli-Americans with chapters across 25 cities in North America, issued a statement today that condemns, in the strongest terms possible, violence committed by Jewish Israelis against Palestinian people and property in the West Bank in the wake of the murder of four Israelis near the settlement of Eli.

Offir Gutelzon, UnXeptable co-founder, said “We are shocked and horrified, but not surprised, by the lawless attacks committed by Jewish terrorists with the barely tacit support of this radical, messianic government.” Quoting Dr. Shikma Bresler, one of the top leaders of the Israeli grassroots protests against the judicial overhaul, he added “We are here to clarify, for anyone who missed it, that Jewish Supremacism is Fascism in every way and Jewish pogroms are pogroms in every way.”

Unrestrained, illegal, violent actions by vigilante groups and private militias are hallmarks of authoritarian regimes, and one needs to look no further than yesterday’s news from Russia to see where this leads. In democracies, not only is there a separation of powers within the government, but the government is the only authorized body that uses force, enacted by institutions such as the military or the police, constrained by the law and judicial oversight.

“The fight to stop the emergence of vigilante militias and crack down on acts of terror, destruction of property, and illegal settlement is inseparable from the struggle for democracy,” Gutelzon said, “Only a strong Israeli democracy can address terror and crime and set Israel on a path towards resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

As a result of this and other developments, UnXeptable, along with the broader protest movement, will redouble its efforts to save democracy while continuously preparing for the escalation of nonviolent resistance to the Netanyahu government’s authoritarian schemes.