Thousands of Reform Jews send letters to Israeli embassies, Netanyahu, protesting Judicial reform

Thousands of emails were sent by community members of the Reform movement around the world were sent to Israeli embassies and consulates as well as to Israel’s Justice Minister and Prime Minister, urging them to preserve democracy in Israel as a result of the planned Judicial reforms. 

The campaign was launched during the weekend and thousands of the Reform movement communities sent emails to Israeli embassies and consulates throughout the US, Europe, Canada, South Africa, England and Australia.

What did they say in the letter?

“We are deeply concerned by the dangerous new legislation that would undermine the Israeli legal system and Israeli democracy in order to serve extremist and short-sighted political interests,” the letter, which was also sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, stated.

“We will not stay silent when Israel’s democracy is in danger. The only Jewish State in the world must remain a democracy that protects the rights of all its citizens. We call upon you to stop these dangerous initiatives now.”

The campaign site explained that “the new proposed legislation in Israel would allow the government to act with impunity by severely curtailing the power of the Supreme Court and the Attorney General to serve as checks on the government’s power.”

They stressed that “there is no precedent for a democracy with a system that has no checks and balances. Without Israel’s Supreme Court, there are no restraints on the government and no protections for human rights. A country that cannot protect human rights, whose power is centralized in the government with no checks and balances on that power, is not a true democracy.”

Asked about the intervention of Diaspora Jews in Israeli politics, the campaign organizers wrote that “Israel bills itself not only as a country for its citizens, but as the Jewish homeland,” and that “these initiatives, should they come to pass, will impact Jews around the world, particularly when it comes to issues relating to the recognition of Judaism, conversion, and immigration.” They added that Diaspora Jews “have a say in how Israel determines” their “rights and status.”