Leaders, rabbis and members from across the Jewish community have signed a statement of Jewish values and core principles in response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The statement is available to read and sign here – www.ourjewishvalues.org.uk.

It begins: “We are Jews who believe wholeheartedly in the right of Israel to exist and flourish and the right of Palestinians to self-determination in a state of their own. We refuse to give up on the vision of Israel and a Palestinian state one day existing side-by-side. This is the only long-term solution that will not involve untold bloodshed.”

The statement lists five core principles, based in Jewish teaching, to guide our responses to the grave challenges of the current moment and ensure that out of this horror comes a commitment to a future in which Israelis and Palestinians can live in mutual peace and security.

The initial signatories comprise rabbis from all of the UK’s major Jewish denominations, including Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy – the CEOs of the UK’s Progressive Jewish movements.

Setting out the need for such a set of principles, Rabbis Josh and Charley said: “Too much of the dialogue has been binary, simple and based on slogans. It is important that this is redressed and a religious voice introduced, coming out of a place of Jewish values and ideals. We hope that it is something which people will gather around and to which we can add resources and commentary over time.”