Rabbis’ letter condemns NC Democrats’ resolution calling for arms embargo on Israel
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- More than 100 rabbis condemned the NC Democratic Party's Israel arms embargo call.
- The rabbis' letter criticized the resolution as antisemitic and biased against Israel.
- Democrats cited polling data showing declining support for Israel among their base.
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NC responds to Israel-Hamas war
Since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, the ensuing war in Gaza has had an impact around the world. In the Triangle, protesters have taken to the streets, college campuses and government meetings to call for a cease-fire, aid to Gaza and the release of hostages. Here is ongoing coverage from The News & Observer.
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More than 100 rabbis from across the country signed onto a public letter condemning the N.C. Democratic Party’s adoption of a resolution calling for the United States to end its support of Israel’s military in the ongoing war in Gaza.
The letter, which was published in the Charlotte Observer on Sunday, takes aim at a resolution the state party’s executive committee adopted on June 28 that argued that the weapons, military aid, and other resources the U.S. has provided Israel in its war against Hamas “have been used to commit the crime of genocide and other war crimes in Gaza.”
The resolution went on to say that “the billions in annual tax payer funds provided to Israel as military aid would be better used to address the needs of Americans in the United States.”
The letter published on Sunday condemning the resolution described it as a “biased” measure and “antisemitic.”
“Your judgment to single Israel out in such an unprecedented, one-sided way rewards Israel’s adversaries, is a de facto declaration that Israel is the only country that is not allowed to defend itself, and is simply a prejudice that we cannot live with,” the letter, addressing party leaders, stated.
The letter also says attempts by “many” local rabbis based at synagogues in North Carolina to meet and engage with party leaders on the issue were “often met with a cold shoulder and callous silence.”
More than a hundred rabbis from the U.S., Canada, and Israel signed onto the letter, which was paid for by Keneseth Beth Israel, a synagogue in Richmond, Virginia. The rabbis said they are “nonpartisan, hail from across North America, and represent both sides of the political aisle.”
The letter names one North Carolina synagogue among the affiliations of its signers. Rabbi Chanoch Oppenheim of Charlotte Torah Center, an Orthodox synagogue, signed the letter.
The letter called “on all Jewish people, their allies, and any person who stands against hate not to support or collaborate with North Carolina’s Democratic Party leadership until they renounce their antisemitic plan of an arms embargo against America’s top ally in the Middle East and until they apologize for the cruel way in which they refused to meaningfully engage with vulnerable minority populations, our fellow Jewish North Carolinians.”
The N.C. Democratic Party did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ahead of the resolution being adopted in June, the party’s Jewish Caucus said in a statement that its members had worked for months “to promote a balanced, inclusive approach to complex international issues, particularly the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, while encouraging a broader focus on the values and priorities that unite North Carolina Democrats.”
Supporters of the resolution, meanwhile, argued that it was reflective of how Democrats felt about the war in Gaza.
The resolution cited a Gallup poll from March that showed more Democrats who were surveyed sympathized with Palestinians (59%) than Israelis (21%) in the war. A Gallup poll from July found that only 32% of Americans approved of Israel’s military action in Gaza, with approval among Democrats who were polled only at 8%.
“It’s time for the Party to take a clear and morally consistent position on this,” Alan Smith, a lead sponsor of the resolution, said in a statement ahead of the June vote.
Korie Dean contributed to this report.
This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
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