17 July 2018

Liberal Judaism and other Progressive Zionist groups have called on the Israeli government to drop the “dangerous” Basic Law Bill currently being considered by the country’s Knesset (Parliament).

Working with other groups, including Reform Judaism, we yesterday delivered a strongly-worded letter to Israel’s Ambassador to the UK outlining concerns that recent proposed changes to the Bill would damage relations between Israel and the diaspora.

Liberal Judaism’s senior rabbi, Rabbi Danny Rich – along with Rabbi Laura-Janner Klausner, senior rabbi to Reform Judaism, Rabbi Lea Mühlstein, chair of Arzenu International and Rabbi Celia Surget, chair of Pro Zion: Arzenu UK – signed the letter, which reiterates the need to “preserve and nurture Israel as both a Jewish and democratic nation and a homeland for all Jews.”

The detailed message, delivered to the Israeli Embassy on Tuesday 17th July, claims that the newly worded Bill attempts to prevent any future legislation “preserving the connection between Israel and the Jewish people.”

The rabbis also expressed their concern that the demotion of Arabic as an official language would adversely affect the “right of Arabic speakers to have their language accessible in government and public institutions.”

Similar campaigns have bene launched by Progressive Jewish groups around the world, including in North America and Israel itself – where our sister group, The Israel Movement for Reform & Progressive Judaism, has been an outspoken opponent of the Bill.

To read the full letter, click Final letter Nation-State.