Yankelevitch to 'Post': Gov't ready to formally listen to World Jewry

Cementing Jewish leadership’s position within Israel sends a clear message of the value that the government of Israel places on the relationship between the State of Israel and the Jewish people.

OCTOBER 22, 2020 23:14

Omer Yankelevich (photo credit: WIKIPEDIA) — Omer Yankelevich

(photo credit: WIKIPEDIA)

With the World Zionist Congress this week and the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly set to begin on Sunday, we have an opportunity to take visionary steps toward propelling forward the relationship between the State of Israel and World Jewry.

As Diaspora Affairs minister, I see it as my role to be the address for World Jewry in Israel through listening to and then relating the stories, needs and interests of Jewish communities and institutions within the government. This work is central to the fulfillment of the State of Israel’s founding mission to be the homeland and nation-state of the entire Jewish people.

This has been particularly crucial in the last six months as my office worked to support Jewish communities struggling from COVID-19 and its ramifications, in addition to furthering our commitment to foster Jewish identity and education around the world.

While this great task is a true honor and pleasure, more can and must be done to formalize how the government of Israel receives input from World Jewry regarding decisions that directly impact the Jewish people.

That is why my office is moving forward a government bill that requires both the government of Israel and the Knesset to consult with World Jewry on matters of direct relevance to the eight million Jews living outside of the State of Israel.

Over the next several months, we will work in the Knesset and government, and with relevant institutions and Jewish leaders to move this plan from vision into reality. This initiative comes after months of consultation with relevant players, including my colleague MK Tehila Friedman, who has been a steadfast advocate for this work in the Knesset and in the field, and of course, Natan Sharansky, a lifelong champion of the Jewish people.

My office already set the foundation for such a move with the government’s passing of the Fassberg-Kandel Committee Report this July.

This framework for the first time formally tasked the government of Israel with the responsibility of ensuring the flourishing of the greater Jewish people. The decision represents a significant paradigm shift in the State of Israel’s policy toward World Jewry, recognizing the Diaspora Affairs Ministry as the government’s convener in this work.

World Jewry and its leaders, organizations and communities have always been the State of Israel’s greatest partners and friends. More than that, we rely on one another to achieve our goals and then surpass them. Jewish leaders play an active role in ensuring the resilience of their respective communities, the connections between the Jewish people, and the strength of our larger nation.

Cementing Jewish leadership’s position within Israel sends a clear message of the value that the government of Israel places on the relationship between the State of Israel and the Jewish people.

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The questions of if and how the State of Israel can actively listen to the voices of World Jewry will be center stage at the Genral Assembly. I encourage conference participants to move this issue away from the hypothetical and into real action in partnership with my office and other relevant bodies.

Together, we have a historic opportunity to solidify the voices of the Jewish people in Israel for generations to come.

The writer is Diaspora Affairs minister.