“Last night, Israeli time, an interview came out between i24 News and Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely in which she made some damaging comments about Diaspora Jewry and in particular Reform and Conservative Jews- which you can read about here.
<http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/160947-171122-israeli-minister-most-us-jews-don-t-send-their-kids-to-fight-for-their-country>
This morning PM Netanyahu condemned her comments which you can read about here
<http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/160970-171123-netanyahu-condemns-deputy-fm-for-deriding-convenient-lives-of-us-jews>.
Rabbi Gilad Kariv, President and CEO of the Reform Movement responded:
“The scandalous words of the Deputy Minister were not said in a vacuum, but as a direct continuation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s abusive conduct towards Diaspora Jewry. We welcome the Prime Minister’s belated condemnation of Deputy Minister Hotovely’s words, but the time has come for actions, not just declarations in English. The Israeli government has violated all of its commitments to the non-Orthodox streams in recent years and if the Prime Minister of Israel wants to restore relations with world Jewry, he must take real steps, not only issue weak condemnations of the deputy minister’s assault.”
The Israel Reform Movement calls on the Prime Minister to dismiss Deputy Minister Tzipi Hotovely, who continues to abuse her role and exacerbate the grave crisis with Diaspora Jewry in her statements.
Rabbi Gilad Kariv: “Deputy Minister Hotovley does not seem to understand her role as the deputy foreign minister. It is inconceivable that this will be the face of the State of Israel toward world Jewry. Most of the Israeli public and most of the world’s Jews are fed up with the campaign of harassment, contempt, and incitement by senior politicians against Diaspora Jewry.”
The Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism statement was posted on its Facebook page – Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/IsraelReformJudaism/> and Twitter<https://twitter.com/IsraelReform>
Rabbi Kariv appeared yesterday on i24 and called for the resignation and/or dismissal of Deputy Minister Hatovley from representing the State of Israel to world Jewry. See this interview (Rabbi Kariv’s strongest point is around the 6 minute point –
here<https://www.i24news.tv/en/tv/replay/daily-dose/x6afgvr>.
Here<https://www.facebook.com/IsraelReformJudaism/posts/1633344696725026> is our post about the interview with a few excerpts.
Mallory Kahn-Johnston
Development and Overseas Relations Associate
Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ)
