Lior Carmel, the chairman of Kibbutz Kissufim in the Gaza envelope, sent a letter to the rabbis of the religious Zionist community calling on them to work to exact their influence on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
In the letter, which was sent on behalf of the kibbutz residents, Carmel emphasizes the religious values of the sanctity of life and notes that the government and nation have the responsibility to bring the hostages home. "The time has come to uphold our internal pledge as a nation and people - to save an entire world and bring the living home," the letter states.
Carmel calls on the rabbis to use their spiritual position and public influence to push the government to act immediately, noting that "the pain of the parents, the children, and the siblings will not rest until they return.
The letter calls on the rabbis to act as a moral compass and work to free the hostages through a sense of shared responsibility. The letter to the rabbis, most of whom identify with the right-wing parties, is seen as unusual since the members of the kibbutz are not among those parties' voters.
"I call on you: show the Finance Minister the road of life and show the National Security Minister our commitment to the hostages," Carmel ends his letter, "So that when the time comes, we won't find ourselves asking for forgiveness when it's too late."
