Enter the debate

Editorial

So what role should American Jews play in Israel?

The flap over the Union of Reform Judaism's recent resolution on peace and security in Israel puts the issue squarely on the table.

An Aug. 6 story in The Forward (later corrected and reissued) with a headline trumpeting URJ's disappointment with U.S. policy not only highlighted the controversy but also the need for serious consideration of our responsibilities as Israel's supporters - and as her critics.

That two roles at times may be mutually exclusive was pointed out by the heated response to a letter URJ's Rabbi David Saperstein sent to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell outlining URJ's support of the Gaza pullout but lamenting the lack of simultaneous U.S. resolve to push for a return to the negotiating table. The letter also condemned Palestinian terror while expressing distress for "the troubling humanitarian conditions of the Palestinians."

The Forward reported on the Saperstein letter, then fielded reactions from a host of prominent Jews, including Anti-Defamation League's Abe Foxman, who asked, "Who is America supposed to push Sharon to negotiate with?" and Zionist Organization of America's Mort Klein, who called the URJ criticism unjust.

As the maelstrom erupted, both Saperstein and Rabbi Eric Yoffie, URJ president, defended the action of the organization, which speaks for 1.5 million Reform Jews.

Which raises the question, "Can we be Israel's most ardent advocates and its most constructive critics?" The answer is a qualified "yes."

Yes, when we formulate consensus positions based on thorough study and deliberation. The URJ resolution was conceived through a process of careful analysis and ratified by its 1,000-congregational member representative body.

Yes, when our intent is to engender reasoned discourse, healthy debate and ultimate positive change. Just take a look at the comments in The Forward article and our own letters to the editor.

And yes, when our purpose is to educate and inform.

Rather than chastise the URJ for its forthrightness, we will do well to persuade other national groups to engage in the debate. The URJ action is a call for open, honest - and yes, heated -discussion, from the pulpit, in the classroom, in the boardroom.

With the High Holiday season approaching, what better topic to engage us than the future of the Jewish state - and our role in assuring its strength, security and prosperity?

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