Board president criticises ‘ugly tone of interdenominational politics in Israel’
Phil Rosenberg issues statement after Likud politician implies in a Knesset debate that Reform Jews are not real Jews.
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Board of Deputies president Phil Rosenberg has condemned the “ugly tone of interdenominational politics in Israel” after a Likud MK implied that an opposition politician was not a real Jew because he was a Reform rabbi.
Likud’s Galit Distel-Atbaryan had been chairing a session of the Subcommittee for Jewish Thought in the Education System when she ordered Democrats MK Gilad Kariv to be removed saying, “Remove the Reformist, [the] Jews here want to continue.”
Kariv, former CEO of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, had earlier argued that girls should be allowed to wrap tefillin as part of an initiative to allow tefillin stands in secular schools.
Distel-Atbaryan responded by saying: “Listen carefully, Gilad Kariv. As long as I am leading the Subcommittee for Jewish Thought in the Education System, I will personally prevent the takeover of the education system by Reformist organizations.
“No matter how much you talk about religious coercion, Israeli students will know the Bible. No matter how much you try to instil fear in the secular public, Israeli students will know the biblical story.
“No matter how much you lie, distort, incite, hate, and sow discord, Israeli students will return to learning about their identity and knowing their sources. Because of fear-mongering by people like you, schools in Israel have simply stopped teaching the Bible.”
Kariv responded: “The hateful attack and loss of composure by Distel-Atbaryan testify to her and her coalition partners’ convoluted Jewish worldview – a zealous, misogynistic, isolationist, and resentful Judaism.
“We will not allow this view of Judaism to take root in our children’s schools. We will introduce them to a tradition that embraces diversity, humanity, and inclusion and that serves as the meeting point between tradition and renewal.”
The Board’s president responded to Monday’s exchanges in the Knesset by telling Jewish News that “the ugly tone of interdenominational politics in Israel, as seen in this exchange, does not serve the unity we want to see, particularly in these dark and difficult times.
“We want to see Israel as a Jewish state that caters to all streams of Judaism.”
Kariv has repeatedly faced attacks from ultra-orthodox politicians where he has directly or indirectly been accused of not being a “real” Jew.
Gusti Yehoshua Braverman, who represents the Reform Movement at the World Zionist Organisation, said Distel-Atbaryan’s remarks were “not only offensive and cruel, but reflected a deep and deliberate alienation toward millions of Jews in Israel and around the world who identify with Reform and Conservative Judaism.
“As a Zionist woman, a Reform Jew, and a public representative of the World Zionist Organisation, I utterly reject this statement, which disgraces the Knesset and the core values of the Jewish people.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
