T. Belman. Agreed. More than anything the dominance of the orthodox in Israel serves to alienate American Jewry. Including Shas and UTJ in the coalition was a huge step backwards. For reasons best known to Netanyahu, he sealed a deal with them before talking to any one else. He should have cut a deal with Liberman and Lapid or even Herzog to avoid bringing Shas and UTJ into the government.
Bibi should have made a deal with American Jewry to support his right wing policies in exchange for Israel accepting some measure of pluralism. Israel must partner with them rather than exclude them.
Just announced: Government to form Jewish denominations roundtable
When Israel’s current government was formed this spring after the March Knesset elections, there were a number of clear winners and losers in terms of the country’s political rivals. But one of the big losers from the reshuffling of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s cabinet was the overwhelming majority of American Jews who do not identify with Orthodox Jewry. Since then, a number of incidents have occurred in which government officials have made statements that have further alienated the many Diaspora Jews who bitterly resent the way their denominations are treated as non-Jewish religions rather than equal partners in the Jewish future. To date, Netanyahu, like his predecessors in both Likud and Labor, have tried to mollify American Jews with conciliatory statements. But after the latest such insult, it is clearly time for him to do more. Israelis on the left and the right, secular as well as religious need to come to grips with the fact that attacks on pluralism are more than an annoying public relations problem. They constitute a strategic problem for the Jewish state that needs to be addressed.
Though the Israeli political establishment, both on the right and the left, were primarily focused on the other implications of the new coalition, its formation ended a brief two-year period when the ultra-Orthodox political parties were left out of the government and attempts were made to ease the path to conversion as well as other efforts to begin to ease the country into acceptance of Jewish religious pluralism. This was a great opportunity for a country whose decisions on a variety of issues have often been held hostage by the views of the “black hat” minority. Though the collapse of the previous government had little if anything to do with the issue, the return of the two religious parties ended these experiments, returning Israel to a situation where the non-Orthodox rightly feel slighted.
As I wrote back in May, when I attempted to explain the situation in terms of Israeli political realities, the core problem is really not one in which there is a disagreement about “who is a Jew,” but rather who is a rabbi. That’s because the lack of a separation between synagogue and state means that in Israel the government pays rabbinic salaries making the right to be accorded official status is a political and economic issue rather than a purely religious one. Thus the right of the non-Orthodox streams to be recognized hinges on an ability to mobilize political support. Since they command the allegiance of few Israelis and the ultra-Orthodox constitute a powerful voting bloc in the Knesset due to the country’s proportional representation, the non-Orthodox inevitably are the losers in this tug of war.
Though a majority of Israelis are secular and most dislike the treatment they get from the rabbinate, the question of pluralism has always been secondary to a desire for civil marriage and disestablishment.
This is difficult for Americans who are unused to the lack of separation between religion and state in Israel to understand. To the extent that Israeli leaders understand how the Diaspora feels about this, they have still given it short shrift since the issue is always going to be overshadowed by the great debates over war and peace issues as well as those about economics.
While I agree with Reform and Conservative leaders who protest the lack of pluralism, I’ve also tried to counsel Jews living here to try to look at Israeli society in its own context rather than judging it by the standards of Jewish life in the United States. Until the non-Orthodox movements are able to convince more Israelis to back their appeal for equal treatment, an unsatisfactory status quo is likely to stay in place.
But in the wake of the collapse of the new effort to ease the path to conversion, as well as by the recent appalling statement of the country’s new Religious Affairs Minister that he does not consider Reform Jews to be Jewish, as well as another incident involving President Reuven Rivlin’s snub of Conservative rabbis, it’s time for a more pro-active response to the problem.
Orthodox Jews may take a dim view of their Reform or Conservative cousins because of doctrinal differences. They may also point, with justice, to the potential demographic collapse of Reform and especially Conservative Jewry in the United States that the Pew Survey highlighted in 2013. But what they and Israelis of all stripes must remember is that for all of the problems of the non-Orthodox, they still constitute approximately 90 percent of American Jewry. The Orthodox share of the American Jewish population may go up in the coming decades, but their triumphalism notwithstanding, they are going to be a minority here for a very long time to come. For the foreseeable future, the vast majority of people who call themselves Jewish in the United States are not going to be Orthodox.
In its questions about support for Israel, the Pew Survey illustrated that the decline of Jewish peoplehood and the rise of a new large unaffiliated group within the community in the United States is having a serious impact on identification with Zionism or the need to speak out in defense of Israel even at times when the media and the political left are attacking it. There is no magic bullet that will solve that problem, and there is little doubt that support for Israel is declining among the liberal Democratic constituencies that non-Orthodox Jewry support. But attacks on Reform and Conservative Judaism don’t help ameliorate the problem. To the contrary, the willingness of some Israeli leaders to speak of the bulk of American Jewry as alien outsiders deepen the already growing gulf between the two communities that need each other so badly.
American Jews need Israel because it is the spiritual center of Judaism and the place where the core principles of Jewish identity flourish. But Israel needs American Jews too, not least because of the vital political support they can furnish for a Jewish state that remains under siege. To those who say Reform and Conservative Jews must be written off because most support President Obama, I would answer that they still are the core of Jewish life here and political support for Israel. Moreover, growing numbers of secular and even religious Israelis are starting to recognize that their appeals for pluralism are justified.
Thus, the dustups between Haredi leaders and American sensibilities aren’t just meaningless spats but part of a genuine strategic threat to Israel’s security.
What can be done? American Jews can’t compel Israeli politicians to treat their needs as priorities when the electoral math points in the other direction. Yet Netanyahu must do more than merely publicly disagree when insults are hurled at the non-Orthodox. The prime minister and others in power must make it clear to the ultra-Orthodox parties that what they are doing is endangering the nation’s ability to mobilize support that props up the country’s vital alliance with the United States. That means Netanyahu must take some key issues, like the future of renovations to the Western Wall plaza in order to follow through on Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky’s plan to create a non-Orthodox section, out of the hands of the Haredim.
Genuine pluralism may not be in the cards in the immediate future. But unless Israel’s political establishment starts acting as if it cares about maintaining support from most American Jews, they will be worsening a problem that is undermining communal unity and making it harder to maintain a united front behind the defense of the Jewish state.
I find much of the hostility from Israelis to apply not to Orthodox Jews, but to Haredim. The two are distinguishable and non- Haredi Orthodox Jews are both significant in numberand far less hostile to other Jews. Although I support freedom of choice, I see no problem in an increase of, say Lubabitcher Chabad Jews; it might improve the Jewish and Democratic nature of Israel and avoid fears of demographic voting issues from hostile non-Jews. Note that this is a non-Israeli writing; others may wish to enlighten me further than.
Eric R. Said:
Clearly Moshiakh will have to come before Shas is able to form government 🙂
I am a bit disappointed
Non-Orthodox American Jews’ lack of connection to the State of Israel has nothing to do with the Rabbinate nor with special privileges given the Haredim. It is solely dependent on their assimilation into the American majority. The first generation born in the States had an intermarriage rate of only 15% and an affiliation with some form of Judaism rate of about 70%. Currently, no more than 10% of non-Orthodox American Jews have any more than a nostalgic connection to Judaism. Yes, some still give generously to Israeli and Jewish causes, but look at the flip side. Look at the “Rabbis for Human Rights”; do you really think that offering them a seat at the rabbinic conference will make them back Israel? Look at Diane Feinstein, do you think that the reason she turned her back on Israel’s Prime Minister was the subsidy given to large families? Even Chucky, from whom we expected better, turned out to follow the POTUS rather than support Israel when he had to decide where his bread was buttered. We have maybe one more generation of any support from the non-Orthodox before we will have to write them off. And their rabbinic leaders are not doing anything to reverse the situation. Yes, American Jewry needs to feel connected to Israel, but that connection will not be served by a departure from Orthodoxy. And really, everyone knows that the NK morons do not represent any form of Orthodox Judaism.
What American Jewry needs would take a lot of infusions, blood and money. It needs a slew of people who are in love with Israel (people and state) and are willing to teach that love. It needs people who invite its youth to summer programs and expose American youth to what Israel is and why it is important to the Jews. And it needs people who will teach them to have pride in being a Jew and to want to continue the chain of Jews from their ancestors to their children and grandchildren.
@ Economist:
Liberal definition of “troll” = someone online who doesn’t agree with you. Liberal solution for “troll” = shut him up!
I would venture to say that those ultra orthodox Jews e.g. the teitelbaum true torah satmars most likely vote for Obama becuase many live on welfare, live in the poorest town in the US (kiryat Joel) and are against zionism. Obama will give them the welfare and defame zionism.
HMMMMMMMM?????
http://www.algemeiner.com/2015/07/12/nyc-boston-chicago-quds-day-rallies-look-like-they-were-duds-video/
with ultra-orthodox support for Israel like this it is no wonder that Jewish children are slaughtered in France for the zionist crimes of which THESE “Jews and rabbis” accuse Israel. Along with the secular leftist Kapos these black hatters are cited as proof of Israels crimes. After all when the stereotype jew says the Israelis are war criminals who will not believe him? It appears that the ability to read the Torah does not guarantee a Jew nor prevent a kapo. The extreme secular left and extreme orthodox share a common perspective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=41&v=pJTWtfZFC54
@ Economist: Absolutely all Orthodox are not intolerant. The Shas Minister Azoulay is intolerant.
Many orthodox city rabbis are tolerant folk. So are many of the Zionist Rabbis in the IDF and elsewhere in Israel.
Giving religious monopoly power to those Rabbis who are the least tolerant in Israeli society is the issue in my mind.
Yes Chabad appears to be doing a nice job of outreach to Jews no matter how they practice Judaism. This attitude should correctly be embraced.
Not all Orthodox are intolerant. Chabad’s view is that everyone is fine where they are but it would be good if they did even more. As a result, Chabad is open to all Jews.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Gamliel-hopes-to-show-a-more-welcoming-face-to-non-Orthodox-immigrants-408722
The etymology of “troll” in this case is fishing to see if you can get someone to bite, e.g by responding emotionally, not the Norse gnome. Repeated off-topic personal insults are pretty good evidence of the intent required to be considered a troll@ Economist:
In Internet slang, a troll is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, or off-topic messages in an online community with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. @ babushka:
I am the only troll here. I must be a troll because apparently rational interlocutors find your arguments to be coherent, whereas I continue to insist that supporting Israel does not allow for supporting a man who repeatedly seeks to harm Israel.
And with that, Eco, I am done with you. Time for me to return to my home under the bridge. Our differences notwithstanding, can you at least be a gentleman and compliment my outfit?
https://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/6306199/il_fullxfull.333585977.jpg
Ted is commonly quite rational. I am sure his error of the whole is an anomaly.@ Dandaman:
Some of the discussants here are revealing themselves as trolls rather than rational interlocutors. Perhaps it’s time for the moderator to moderate.