Twenty-five former Israeli senior security and defense officials thanked the US Congress for passing legislation that endorsed a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while rejecting efforts to boycott the Jewish state.

The letter sent Tuesday also weighed in against Israel unilaterally annexing all or part of the West Bank, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is considering if reelected.

“Any unilateral annexation of territory or extension of sovereignty to the West Bank will put Israel’s security and safety along with the well-being of its citizens at risk,” the letter said.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

It was signed by former heads of the Mossad and the the internal security service the Shin Bet, along with three former advisers to Netanyahu. They expressed their appreciation that an “overwhelming, bipartisan majority of Members of Congress” affirmed “strong support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states.”

House Resolution 246, which passed 398-17 last month, condemned the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel.

The letter was addressed to US Reps. Brad Schneider, a Democrat of Illinois; Lee Zeldin, a Republican of New York; Jerry Nadler, a Democrat of New York; and Ann Wagner, a Republican of Missouri, the co-sponsors of the bill and staunch supporters of Israel.

It also expressed appreciation for Congress’s “clear opposition to the BDS Movement and efforts to deny Israel’s legitimacy,” and concluded that “we look forward to future bipartisan congressional initiatives that explicitly identify annexation as a threat to Israel’s security, and Jewish and democratic future.”

Last week, 21 right-wing Israeli lawmakers in a letter to the congressmen asserted that a Palestinian state is “far more dangerous to Israel” than BDS.