A delegation of about 50 representatives from Am Echad of Agudath Israel of America is visiting Israel and met with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked on Wednesday.
During the meeting, the delegation members explained “the dangers inherent in the conversion law and the Kosel compromise,” an Am Echad statement said.
The representatives said that changes to vital issues in Judaism must be implemented with the consensus of all Jewish denominations and not via coercion as the government is doing.
It is unknown how Bennett and Shaked responded to their requests on those specific issues, but Bennett had a request of his own, asking the delegation members to influence the Chareidi MKs to join the government.
“I serve everyone including the Chareidim,” he said. He also claimed that “the Chareidi representatives are the ones that are boycotting me. I want the Chareidim in the coalition. Convince them to join the government.”
This is not the first time that Bennett has said that he wants the Chareidim to join the government, and considering that his coalition has been hit by one crisis after another in recent days, he is apparently even more desperate for the Chareidim to join him.
The Am Echad delegation also met with President Issac Herzog, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Housing Minister Ze’ev Elkin, and Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar.
A delegation of Conservative and Reform leaders is also traveling to Israel next week and is scheduled to meet with Bennett and senior government officials in order to convince them to implement the Kosel Reform plan and giyur reform.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
So one hand washes the other until all of Torah is washed away
Who is behind this group? No one here in Israel heard about the Kosel reform in months. They are waking up sleeping wolves as mentioned in the end of the article that now a reform delegation will come…..
Thank you askanim
Convince the Chareidim to join the coalition – well – but Lieberman Yms is blocking…
Bennett will learn that he is PM of the chareidim even if they are in the opposition. Bennett will bear full and sole responsibility for his actions. No Chareidi party will support him. While he garnered a minority of votes, he sold his soul and his voters confidence for glory. He broke all his promises and has lost all credibility. He is no Rabbi nor is he a guardian of Torah. What good is his public show of tefillin and Shabbos when his policies enable Reform practices and will create mamzerim, treif, and more. May he fall and fast.
Never. Ever. Torah stays. You BENNETT will be gone
The representatives said that changes to vital issues in Judaism must be implemented with the consensus of all Jewish denominations and not via coercion as the government is doing.
“the consensus of all Jewish denominations”?! Shomu shomayim! What have we come to that this is what the Agudah is asking for?
Milhouse: ” consensus of all Jewish denominations”, what that even means we dont know, As far as I know there is only one Jewish “denomination”, and that is Torah. To splinter us into denomination is anathema to our Torah. A Jew is a Jew is a Jew (Halachically, I mean) and it matters not if you daven with a black hat, a turban, a cap, a Kippah that is knitted, multicolored, black velvet, suede, leather or boldly says NaNachNachman etc. It matters not what color your skin is, or what nussach your siddur is , we are all the same denomination.
We dont need to change vital issues in Judaism. The idea that we can is what is splintering us apart.