'The threat to Israel’s survival is its extremist government, not Arabs or Palestinians'

American economist and geopolitical analyst Jeffrey Sachs has issued a scathing open letter to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, accusing Israel’s leadership of committing “mass murder and starvation” in Gaza and warning that the country’s greatest danger comes from its own extremist policies.

The letter, dated August 9 and shared with TRT World via email, follows Sa’ar’s combative address to a special UN Security Council session on August 5, which he had convened to focus on Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Sa’ar used the platform to denounce Palestinian resistance group Hamas for the October 7 attacks and for “starving and torturing” captives, while blaming international media and the UN for what he called “modern blood libels” against Israel.

However, Sachs—who attended the meeting—said Sa’ar’s speech “failed to recognise why almost the entire world… is aghast at your government’s behaviour,” charging that Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 18,500 Palestinian children and left Gaza on the verge of famine.

“You lamented the starvation of 20 hostages but failed to mention Israel’s starvation of 2 million Palestinians,” Sachs wrote.

UN Security Council split

Sachs’ intervention comes amid deep divisions at the UN. At Sunday’s emergency meeting, four of the five permanent members—Russia, China, the UK, and France—condemned Israel’s Security Cabinet decision to fully occupy Gaza City and forcibly displace Palestinians from north to south.

Only the US defended Israel’s actions, with its acting deputy representative repeating Washington’s line that Israel has the “right to defend itself” and blaming Hamas for rejecting a ceasefire.

France warned the occupation plan “will in no way contribute to the security of Israel,” while China’s UN envoy Fu Cong declared Gaza “an integral part of the Palestinian territory” and urged Israel to “stop this dangerous move at once.” 

Rejecting Zionism

In his letter, Sachs—himself Jewish—took issue with Sa’ar’s declaration at the UN that Israel is “the sovereign state of the Jewish people.”