Last week, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, issued a strong and nuanced statement regarding the current events in Israel, specifically addressing the East Jerusalem building announcement and Vice President Biden’s recent trip to the region. Rabbi Yoffie expressed the URJ’s position on Jerusalem, which, “like most American Jewish organizations, supports a united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty. This means that we believe housing units constructed in Jerusalem by Israel are not settlements and they are not illegal.”
The tenor of Rabbi Yoffie’s remarks, which were picked up by Haaretz, the Jerusalem Post, the Forward, and JTA, is expressed in dictum that “a great many things that are legal are not prudent or wise – and building in Arab sections of Jerusalem in the current political climate is one of those things.”
Rabbi Yoffie’s statement also reiterated the Reform Movement’s enduring position on Israel, emphasizing our commitment to a achieving a two-state solution with active North American involvement in peace negotiations.
Further, he commented that “if a peace agreement becomes a real, viable possibility, Israel will likely be prepared and willing to compromise in a fundamental way on Jerusalem…but first, peace talks must begin.” His full remarks are available here.
On the Washington, D.C. scene, Prime Minister Netanyahu is here and will meet with Vice President Biden tonight and with President Obama tomorrow. Many are looking to these meetings as a significant and necessary step toward repairing the U.S.-Israel relationship and potentially getting peace negotiations back on track.
Additionally, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the AIPAC Policy Conference this morning, expressing the “clear goal” of both the United States and the Reform Movement: “two states for two peoples living side by side in peace and security.” Secretary Clinton also spoke to the threat of a nuclear Iran, which she proclaimed unacceptable not only for the security of the state of Israel, but also for the Middle East region, the United States, and the entire international community.
In the coming days, we’ll be watching these meetings closely and the actions of both the U.S. and Israeli governments. What do you think about the current situation in the Middle East? Leave us a comment below or send me an email with your thoughts!