Israeli Lawmaker David Rotem Sorry for ‘Reform Not Jewish’ Remark
Israeli lawmaker David Rotem apologized for comments attributed to him that said members of the Reform movement are not Jewish, saying his words were “misinterpreted.”
“Comments attributed to me regarding the Reform Movement have been misinterpreted by elements within the media. I have never said belonging to the Reform Movement makes anyone less Jewish,” Rotem said in a Facebook post Thursday. “While as an Orthodox Jew, I have theological differences with the Reform Movement’s perspective, I maintain the greatest respect for all Jews, regardless of their denomination and background. I apologize for any misunderstanding and all offense generated by the content of my comments yesterday.”
Rotem came under fire from religious and other Jewish groups for remarks he reportedly said Tuesday during a meeting of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, which he chairs, during a committee meeting on changing Israel’s child adoption law. “The Reform movement is not Jewish … they are another religion,” he reportedly said in comments attributed to him late Wednesday in the Israeli media.
“I hope that this clarification can generate the necessary debate on how to further unify the Jewish People, both in Israel and the Diaspora, around our shared vital interests and concerns, rather than limiting it to the differences that exist among us,” Rotem concluded in his Facebook post.
Rotem, a member of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party, a major coalition partner, told Army Radio Thursday morning that his comments were a “big mistake.” He told the radio station that the Reform movement is “another Jewish religion” in the same way that the haredi Orthodox are.
He said that he had agreed to meet with a group of Reform Jewish leaders next week.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!
