Around 1,000 Israeli Artists Urge Government to Stop “the Horror” in Gaza

In another instance of dissenting voices challenging the Israeli government’s official narrative, which seeks to obscure its actions in Gaza, approximately 1,000 Israeli artists—including writers, actors, and other cultural figures—have signed a petition titled “Stop the Horror in Gaza.” The signatories accuse the government of deliberately starving Gaza and killing innocent Palestinians.

“Against our will and our values, we find ourselves complicit in the horrific actions committed by our government in Gaza—the killing of children and civilians, starvation policies, forced displacement, and the senseless destruction of entire cities,” the document states.

The petition also calls on Israeli soldiers to disobey “illegal orders” and to “refrain from committing war crimes.” It ultimately demands an end to the war and the release of all hostages.

Although the statement refrains from describing the situation in Gaza as genocide and continues to refer to it as a “war,” even as there is growing evidence of a deliberate Israeli policy aimed at the extermination of the Palestinian population in Gaza, it nevertheless marks a significant rupture with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official narrative, which denies the existence of famine or war crimes in the enclave.

This petition follows a similar appeal by the presidents of five Israeli universities who have called on Netanyahu to halt the hunger in Gaza, as well as statements from Israeli human rights groups that have labeled the situation in the Strip as genocide.

However, the artists’ statement has faced strong backlash from figures closely aligned with the pro-government and pro-military establishment.

One of the most vocal critics was singer Idan Amedi, who also serves as a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). He described the signatories as “a small group of privileged individuals who continue to spread stupidity, ignorance, and lies.”

“Fight for one day in Gaza, and then sign the declaration,” Amedi added.

It bears mentioning that one need not spend a day in Gaza to understand what is taking place there. A constant stream of videos, photographs, and eyewitness accounts continues to document the numerous atrocities committed by the Israeli military against Palestinians. If anything, it is Amedi who ought to stop turning a blind eye to what is arguably the most extensively documented genocide in modern history.

Unfortunately, Amedi was not alone in his criticism, and his comments contributed to some artists withdrawing their signatures. Nonetheless, the majority have maintained their support for the petition.

Such developments, which seemed unthinkable in the early stages of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, reflect growing discomfort among parts of the Israeli public. This shift is being driven in part by the increasingly brutal actions of the Israeli armed forces, as well as the mounting international condemnation that has left Israel more isolated on the global stage.

There is hope that similar expressions of dissent will continue to emerge from within Israeli society, while international solidarity with the Palestinian people must also intensify. The urgent need to denounce what is unfolding in Gaza as genocide is key to halting further atrocities.