Friendly banter
Knesset members joke and melt ice of Seattle pluralism debate
By Donna Gordon Blankinship
Transcript Editor
Funny and entertaining were not the first two words I expected to use to describe the very important visit to the Pacific Northwest last week of six members of the Israeli Knesset.
Anyone who had a chance to meet these government officials during their whirlwind tour had a unexpected opportunity to sample the human side of Israeli politics. These guys must have a lot of fun between the shouting we see on television.
Their hosts, the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, shuttled the MKs from one meeting after another for about a day and a half. Their itinerary included visits to the Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle and the Seattle Jewish Primary School, lunch with members of the Community Relations Committee and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a meeting with local rabbis, dinner and a reception with community leaders and major donors, a blue ribbon tour of Boeing’s Everett plant and services at both local Conservative synagogues. The main topic of the visit — which came in the midst of debate in Israel — was religious pluralism. But the tour also gave local Jews a wonderful chance to put a face and a voice to the people who may ultimately decide what role Reform and Conservative rabbis will play in Israel.
All six MKs, from a wide spectrum of political party affiliation, made it clear that they oppose proposed legislation that would codify Orthodox control over religious life in Israel — one bill relates to conversions, another relates to representation on local religious councils. They came to Seattle to learn more about American Jewish life and to gather local opinions about the debate. At the CRC and AIPAC meeting at the Jewish Federation on Feb. 11, each MK expressed surprise at the depth of knowledge of local school children on Judaism and Israel. They shared their points of view on pluralism, the peace process, the Israeli government structure and Benjamin Netanyahu. Although the topics and discussion were serious, nearly every speech attracted smiles and laughter from the audience. Toward the end of the question-and-answer session, it almost seemed as if they were competing for laughs, or to put it more politically: new friends.
Here’s a sampling of their comments on the pluralism debate. Unfortunately, I’m not much of a humor writer, so most of the laughs will be lost in the translation and the editing.
From MK Rafi Elul of the Labor Party, who immigrated from Morocco in the 1960s, “Maybe we are far away from Israel, but we are very close from one to another. You have friends in Israel.”
MK Micha Goldman of the Labor Party, whose family has lived in the Promised Land for 130 years, said, “It’s good to see three streams of Judaism sitting together at the same table.” He promised to bring this memory back with him to the Knesset, as an example to strive for. “I pledge that we will do our utmost to convince the Orthodox parties to accept the Ne’eman recommendations,” which offer a compromise position in the religious status debate.
MK Yehuda Harel of the Third World Party, who escaped from Germany to Palestine in 1935, spoke of his connection to Washington state, even though this was his first visit. Harel said many members of his kibbutz had visited Washington because we share an agriculture crop in common: apples. “I’m very new in politics — two years, and I wonder if it’s not too much.” He described his political party, which is also very new in politics, as being on the far left of the conservative coalition that now leads the government, but “trying to push everyone toward the center.”
Harel said, “I believe we have a lot to learn from you” about religious pluralism. He mentioned the 1 million citizens of Israel who are not Jewish, mostly made up of immigrants from the Former Soviet Union who had a Jewish heritage or were related to Jews who immigrated.
In speaking later on the Israeli political system, Harel again complimented the American efforts toward religious harmony. “The problem is how to get consensus. We are very divided in Israel. We have much to learn from you about how to have consensus.”
Pinchas Badash of the Tzomet Party, immigrated from the former Soviet Union, spoke of the Conservative Congregation in his town and said he hoped to host Seattle Jews when they visit Israel. Badash also made an interesting comment on how Israeli’s refer to Reform Jews as secular Jews, but his comments came through an interpreter so it was a little difficult to understand exactly what he meant by that statement.
MK Nawaf Mazhala, an Arab on the Labor Party, says he and his fellow Arab MK abstained in the first vote on the conversion legislation. “We believe there are enough problems between Jews and Jews that we don’t need to create more.” He said they will not interfere with a compromise, but implied he would vote against the original conversion legislation if it comes before the Knesset for a second reading. Mazhala pointed out that 20 percent of Israelis are Arabic. “I believe in co-existence between Arabs and Jews,” he said, adding, “I am optimistic for the peace process. I believe we will succeed. We are living together and we will continue living together.”
Avraham Poraz, of the Meretz-Shinui Party, was born in Romania and immigrated to Israel in 1950. He began his speech by commenting on the introduction to Seattle that included a mention of the city’s one Jewish mayor. “I come from a town in which all the mayors are Jewish,” said the Tel Aviv resident who was the first mayor of that city from Romania.
Poraz pointed out the difficulty in assigning “left” and “right” labels to Israeli politics. Labels of dove or hawk are more appropriate. He identified himself as a dove. “The reason we are so dovest is we want to prevent a new war.” Poraz expressed envy of people who live in Seattle because we are not threatened by our neighbors in Canada or Oregon.
“I know you are very interested in the laws of conversion ... but Israel is facing some very serious problems,” he said.
On the Israeli political system, Poraz commented, “Every system has disadvantages and advantages. The fact that you only have two parties is an illusion. Every senator is a party in itself.”
Many of the MKs expressed their feelings of profound kinship with their American cousins and said the relationship between the United States and Israel was much more than the dollars our community and government share with the smaller, younger Democracy.
“I feel myself a party of you even if you won’t help us, because we are the same people,” said Harel. “I believe nothing can cut those ties between us.”
Poraz added that both sides gain from the emotional and political partnership. “A strong Israel means strong American Jews.”
Poraz added, “The achievements of Israel raise the dignity of Jews over the world.”