U.S. Jewish groups expressed disappointment, pain and concern at the Israeli government’s passage of a law limiting judicial powers on Monday without the broad political consensus that American Jewish leaders had advocated.
Statements released by large, mainstream American Jewish organizations and comments made by individual leaders and officials have primarily focused on addressing the division seen on Israeli streets in recent months, rather than on the substance of the debate over the legislation passed the day before, which curtails the ability of judges to deem government actions “unreasonable,” or about the government’s proposed judicial overhaul more generally.
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations called on Israeli leaders to “seek compromise and unity,” in a joint statement by the organization’s CEO, William Daroff, and its chair, Harriet P. Schleifer.
“Responsible political actors must ease tensions that have run dangerously high,” they wrote.
Jewish Federations of North America called for the government to refrain from passing additional judicial legislation without broader consensus.
“We urge the coalition leaders to suspend any further unilateral changes to the judicial reforms, and urge all parties to return to negotiations under the auspices of [Israeli President Isaac] Herzog,” the organization wrote in a statement, referring to an initiative by Herzog to hold negotiations at the president’s residence in Jerusalem, which were abandoned after opposition leaders saw the government’s refusal to convene a committee to select judges as a breach of the terms of the talks.
The American Jewish Committee said it was particularly concerned about the divisions in the military, which has seen unprecedented numbers of reservists, particularly from elite volunteer units, announcing refusals to continue their reserve duty.
“The continued effort to press forward on judicial reform rather than seeking compromise has sown discord within the Israeli Defense Forces at a time of elevated threats to the Jewish homeland and has strained the vital relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jewry,” AJC wrote in a statement.
Left-leaning American Jewish groups, including J Street, the National Council for Jewish Women, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Americans for Peace Now and others, were unequivocal about their opposition to the passage of the “reasonableness” bill and their support for the Israeli protest movement.
“More than ever, the Israelis fighting for democracy need to know that American Jews are with them. We are. This is our fight too — and the vast majority of us believe in a Jewish, democratic Israel that lives up to its founding values of equality, freedom, and justice,” wrote JCPA CEO Amy Spitalnik.
The Zionist Organization of America appeared to be the sole outlier among members of the Conference of Presidents, hailing the passage of the “reasonableness” bill and encouraging the Israeli government to pass additional legislation.
“The Zionist Organization of America strongly supports and praises Israel’s democratically-elected Knesset for passing the first part of much-needed judicial reform,” the organization wrote in a statement. “Passing the first part of judicial reform is also a victory over the unelected radical Left’s attempts to impose ‘mob rule.’ It is also a victory over unlawful foreign interference,” ZOA said, referring to U.S. government support for organizations opposed to the proposed judicial overhaul.
The Orthodox Union did not immediately respond to the passage of the bill, but ahead of the vote, the organization’s executive director for public policy, Nathan Diamant, told The New York Times that portions of American Orthodox Jewry supported the Israeli government’s plans, though he too expressed concern over the turmoil in Israel.
“There are many people in the American Orthodox community whose view on the substance is sympathetic or supportive to the reforms,” Diamant said, “but nonetheless are worried about the divisiveness that the process has caused.”
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