NEW YORK — Today, T’ruah, a rabbinic human rights organization that represents over 2,000 rabbis and cantors and their communities in North America, released the following statement in reaction to the announcement of a new government in Israel.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, executive director of T’ruah, released the following statement:
“We are grateful for the news that Israel’s longtime political paralysis has come to an end with the formation of a new coalition government. While we recognize that the broad ideological diversity of the coalition will make it impossible for this new Israeli government to make peace with the Palestinians, end the occupation of the Palestinian territories, or bring about major social change within Israel, it is a necessary step forward for Israel.
“For too long, Israeli politics have been held hostage by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose primary concern has been his own well-being and hold on power. Over the years, Netanyahu’s increasing extremism has weakened human rights in Israel and in the occupied Palestinian territories and hampered progress toward a just and sustainable two-state solution.
“The new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, is still a pro-settlement, pro-occupation leader from Israel’s political right, but this government will also include a broad spectrum of parties including Labor and Meretz, both of which are in a position to have a positive impact on internal and external affairs. Moreover, the coalition notably excludes Otzma Yehudit, an extremist party that helped incite violence against Palestinian citizens and residents over the past month, and that is rooted in the teachings of terrorist Meir Kahane, whose own party was banned from the Knesset more than three decades ago.
“We also applaud the major step forward represented by this coalition’s inclusion of an Arab Israeli party, a first in Israeli history. While we oppose Ra’am’s views on the rights of women and LGBTQ individuals, nonetheless the inclusion of an Arab party in an Israeli governing coalition is a landmark moment in the quest to build a shared society in Israel.
“In this week’s Torah portion, Moses sends scouts to explore the land of Israel. Ten of these scouts return with a terrifying report that frightens the people from moving forward. But two, Caleb and Joshua, choose hope over fear. The path will be difficult, they tell the people, but not impossible. We, too, choose hope over despair.
“T’ruah rabbis and cantors will continue to be a moral voice committed to defending human rights both inside of Israel and in the occupied Palestinian territories, to ending the occupation, and to ensuring the right to self-determination for both Jews and Palestinians. We will continue to press this new government to take actions that create a better future for both Israelis and Palestinians. We continue to stand with our Israeli partners, including human rights and civil society organizations, as they begin engaging with this new government.”
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights mobilizes a network of more than 2,000 rabbis and cantors from all streams of Judaism that, together with the Jewish community, act on the Jewish imperative to respect and advance the human rights of all people. Grounded in Torah and our Jewish historical experience and guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we call upon Jews to assert Jewish values by raising our voices and taking concrete steps to protect and expand human rights in North America, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.