US rabbis urge Israel to end arms sales to Myanmar

A group of American rabbis demanded that Israel halt the reported sales of arms to Myanmar, where hundreds of thousands of people have fled violence by government security forces. T'ruah, a New York-based group of rabbis supporting human rights, said Thursday that 300 rabbis and cantors signed a petition calling for an end to the alleged arms sales.

A statement from Israel's Foreign Ministry said Israel "vehemently denies" reports of its "alleged involvement" in the Myanmar conflict.

Israel has not publicly commented on reports that it has sold weapons to Myanmar in the past. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter, said Israel was conducting a "reassessment" of its arms sales to the country in light of the situation.

Myanmar military has killed at least hundreds of Rohingya women, men, and children, raped and perpetrated other forms of sexual violence on Rohingya women and girls, and carried out organized, targeted burning of entire Rohingya villages, according to reports. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke on Thursday with Myanmar's army chief and expressed concern over reported atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, the U.S. State Department said in a statement. Tillerson urged the army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, to support the Myanmar government in ending the violence and allowing the safe return of ethnic Rohingya who have fled the area, the statement said.