Khaberni - British rabbis warn that Israel's political course poses an existential threat to Judaism, emphasizing that criticism of the Israeli government is a religious duty and not treason, but an expression of genuine Jewish values.
Israel's direction poses an "existential threat" to Judaism, warn senior progressive rabbis in the United Kingdom, with rabbis Charlie Baginsky and Josh Levy asserting that criticizing the Israeli government is "not treason but a Jewish duty".
The senior progressive rabbis in the United Kingdom warn that Israel's current political direction risks becoming "incompatible with Jewish values", insisting that criticizing the country's government is a "Jewish duty" and not an act of treason.
Rabbis Charlie Baginsky and Josh Levy, co-leaders of the "Progressive Judaism" movement – which represents about a third of Jewish synagogues in the United Kingdom – say that Israel's course might pose an "existential threat" not just to the state itself, but also to Judaism.
In their talk before launching the movement's first book, entitled "Progressive Judaism, Zionism, and the State of Israel", they also expressed hope that the possibility of change remains viable.
Baginsky stated: "We have repeatedly said that Israel's direction poses an existential threat not only to Jews themselves, but to Judaism. What happens when the government's direction within Israel takes the state down a path that makes it incompatible with our Jewish values? This is a major concern."
This issue lies at the heart of the book co-edited by Baginsky and Levy, which includes forty articles by Jewish clergy and community leaders, reflecting a wide spectrum of views on the contentious discussions surrounding Jewish identity, Zionism, and Israel.
Levy argued that exploring these tough questions is not a sign of betrayal to Israel or to the Jewish community. Instead, he said: "It's part of a millennia-long conversation about Jewish values, what God wants from us in this world, and our relationship with the land."
He added: "What the Israeli government does reflects on us as Jews, and on our Judaism. Therefore, our Jewish duty requires us to engage in dialogue about it in some way."
Meanwhile, Rabbi Leah Muhlstein, former president of "Arzenu", the political arm of the global reformist and progressive Zionist movement, accused legislation of violating previous decisions made by Jewish entities.
