JTS’s Arnold Eisen Opposes Israel Jewish State Bill
Jewish Theological Seminary Chancellor Arnold Eisen Image by courtesy of JTA
The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York has come out against Israel’s proposed nation-state bill, which would enshrine into law Israel’s status as Jewish state.
In a written statement Wednesday, Arnold Eisen, chancellor of Conservative Jewry’s flagship seminary, said that JTS was “alarmed” by the Knesset’s consideration of the bill.
“We hope that the State’s lawmakers will have the wisdom to affirm Israel’s character as a democratic Jewish State in a way that does not relegate Israeli Arabs and other minorities to second-class status,” Eisen said.
Those who back the controversial bill say it will help reinforce the Israel’s Jewish character. The bill’s critics, however, have called the it unnecessary and provocative and see it as threat to Israel’s democratic nature.
Eisen identified an additional concern with the bill, that it could have the effect of granting “one particular denomination of Judaism — Orthodoxy, as defined by a relatively small group of rabbis and politicians — official and permanent State recognition.”
He added: “We urge that this bill be withdrawn in its current form and the values of Judaism and democracy, along with a commitment to a Jewish homeland, be appropriately balanced.”
Israel’s Cabinet advanced the bill earlier this week. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to present a final version of the bill in the next few days. On Tuesday, Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin, who serves in a largely ceremonial post, came out strongly against the bill.
It’s our birthday and we’re still celebrating!
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news.
This week we celebrate 129 years of the Forward. We’re proud of our origins as a Yiddish print publication serving Jewish immigrants. And we’re just as proud of what we’ve become today: A trusted source of Jewish news and opinion, available digitally to anyone in the world without paywalls or subscriptions.
We’ve helped five generations of American Jews make sense of the news and the world around them — and we aren’t slowing down any time soon.
As a nonprofit newsroom, reader donations make it possible for us to do this work. Support independent, agenda-free Jewish journalism and our board will match your gift in honor of our birthday!
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
