Powerful Conservative Movement urges Netanyahu to drop nationality bill
Jewish group's collective leadership in Israel and North America says proposed Jewish nation-state law will 'erode, rather than strengthen, the democratic character of Israel.'
"The past months have been a time of great concern for the security and defense of the State of Israel and also for rising anti-Semitism around the world," the moment said in a statement issued Monday. "Indeed, the continuing need for a secure Israel, a proud Jewish and democratic state, is made more apparent every day.
"The achievements of Israeli society to the betterment of life around the world are expressed through the remarkable contributions of the Jewish state to humanitarian causes and advances in science and technology.
"Current versions of a new nationality bill now under discussion will erode, rather than strengthen, the democratic character of Israel. Strong and clear opposition by leading figures currently in office, including President Reuven Rivlin, raise important issues of the possible erosion of democratic freedoms resulting from this bill, the risk of attrition of the rights of Arabs and other minorities and the risk of further eroding values of religious pluralism.
"We call upon Israel’s political leadership to refrain from passage of any bill that weakens the social contract already effectively expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the basic laws which delineate Israel’s most precious ethical, moral and democratic political values."
The letter was signed by Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly; Rabbi Bill Gershon, president of the Rabbinical Assembly; Rabbi Steve Wernick, CEO of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism; Richard Skolnik, president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism; Shueli Fast, chairperson of the Masorti Movement; and Yizhar Hess, CEO of the Masorti Movement.
According to Hess, "It wasn't an easy and quick decision for the leaders of the Conservative Movement in North America to come out against the nationality (bill), a political issue which allegedly relates to the State of Israel's internal affairs.
"The Conservative Movement represents the quorum and structure of organized Judaism in America. Its members hold most of the leadership positions in all of the institutions and organizations which support the State of Israel – including AIPAC, Hadassah, the Jewish Federations and more.
"This unusual statement shows just how the dangerous the proposed nationality law is and how much frustration, outrage and embarrassment is it causing among all of Israel's lovers around the world."
