Israeli Rabbis Urge Cabinet to Reject International Force in Gaza
Prominent religious Zionist rabbis urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the security cabinet to reject international forces in Gaza, warning against risks to Israeli security.
Dozens of prominent religious Zionist rabbis have sent an urgent letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and members of the security cabinet, urging them to strongly oppose the deployment of international forces in the Gaza Strip under a framework promoted by the Peace Council.
In a strongly worded letter, the rabbis warned that transferring security powers in the strip to foreign entities could jeopardize Israeli lives and pave the way for the establishment of a Palestinian state. "Entrusting Israel's security to foreign elements, and certainly to Israel's enemies, endangers the lives of all Israel," the rabbis wrote. "Following the Oslo disaster, we must not repeat the same mistake."
International Framework and Security Concerns
The letter comes against the background of advancing international plans for the future of the Gaza Strip. Under a framework approved by the UN Security Council in November 2025, a temporary international stabilization force is scheduled to be deployed in the strip as part of the transition to the next phase of the arrangement.
According to the road map, the international force is supposed to deploy between IDF forces and areas transferred to the responsibility of a technocratic Palestinian committee, monitor the ceasefire, train the Palestinian police, and secure humanitarian aid. The rabbis argue that any foreign security presence compromises national sovereignty and tactical freedom of action.
"Entrusting Israel's security to foreign elements, and certainly to Israel's enemies, endangers the lives of all Israel. Following the Oslo disaster, we must not repeat the same mistake," the rabbis wrote in their letter.
Opposition to Territorial Compromise
The rabbis emphasized that the Land of Israel belongs exclusively to the Jewish people, citing traditional commentaries regarding the commandment to settle the land and prevent it from falling into foreign hands. They called on the government to resist diplomatic pressures and categorically reject any plan that transfers control of the territory to external bodies.
