Monthly Archives: June 2023

Israelis attend a protest against the government’s judicial overhaul plans, in Tel Aviv, on June 17. Photo: Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90

The Jewish people’s parliament, formally known as the World Zionist Congress with representatives from all over the Diaspora and Israel, has sent a strong message to the Netanyahu government in support of the huge number of Israelis opposed to its judicial overhaul policies and other legislation aimed at further discrimination against women, secular Israelis, the LGBTIQ community and Liberal/Reform/Conservative streams of Judaism in Israel today.

The resolutions presented to the Extraordinary World Zionist Congress that were supported by a majority of online voters were resolutions which:
• Called on the Netanyahu government not to amend the Law of Return,
• Sought the withdrawal of legislation against links between LGBTIQ communities in Israel and the Jewish Diaspora,
• Opposed Conservative and Reform conversions being revoked by Ultra-Orthodox authorities, and
• Called for the withdrawal of legislation to overhaul the judiciary.

The in-person Congress held in April attempted to vote on these anti-government resolutions but were stopped by the right-wing delegates using deliberate moves to delay the vote, which eventually did not take place.

The decision to offer all delegates, even those who were not in attendance in Jerusalem the opportunity to vote on these resolutions really backfired on the right-wing delegates who were trying to out-manoeuvre the non-Orthodox parties.

As a delegate representing ARZA Australia, I was not able to be in Israel at the time of the Congress but finished up voting online from Australia with the three other ARZA Australia delegates.

My later visit to Israel to attend the Connections conference of the World Union for Progressive Judaism confirmed the sense of divisiveness in Israeli society resulting from the current government’s threatened judicial overhaul and other legislation which would serve to destroy any sense of equality for Israeli society.

With each weekend I was in Jerusalem, the talk among so many was about attending the protest meetings on Saturday night after havdalah. There was a sense of real sadness, that Israel, the miracle of the Jewish people and Eretz Yisrael, had been reduced to so much fear. That the democratic state that had achieved so much and that Israelis are so proud of would dissolve into a theocracy and a nation of extremes.

I was pleased to be invited to the residence of the Israeli President Isaac Herzog during my stay with a group from the WUPJ and IMPJ. While it would be improper to quote the President, he did voice his concern over the tension in Israel and talked of his attempts to negotiate an agreement with all parties. One can only hope that he will be successful.

However, my own impression is that with the passing of the budget the PM has felt empowered to move ahead with some of the Ultra-Orthodox policies, which at the end of the day could save him from facing legal proceedings. However, even this looks doubtful, as today it was reported that the Israeli prosecution is demanding that Netanyahu step down if he is wanting a plea deal.

He is really in an almost impossible position. Those ultra-rightwing parties Netanyahu has been forced into coalition with, and who support a judicial overhaul that he will benefit from, seem to think they can demand almost anything, even that which is abhorrent to the nation. How does he say “no”? And how does he put off the judicial overhaul while supposedly negotiating with the President and Opposition parties?

It is my impression that this could all end up badly for a man who in his early days as the Prime Minister of Israel displayed so much strength and skill. He doesn’t seem to be the leader he was. I don’t think he now inspires. He may have to see the writing on the wall and do what is right for the sake of democracy and for the sake of Eretz Yisrael.

Am Yisrael Chai.

Delegates at the WUPJ Connections conference visit the Knesset. Photo: Facebook

Helen Shardey OAM
ARZA Australia President
UPJ Vice President

Jewish prayer books torn up at the Kotel

The Progressive Jewish community in Israel and the Diaspora applauds the Women of the Wall and IRAC for their grit and determination in returning to the Kotel every Rosh Chodesh to celebrate the new Hebrew month in prayer with music and the wearing of their sacred Tallit’s, like many in our Shuls.

So it was with great sadness that I read the report from Women of the Wall that the group of young religious extremists who had seized and destroyed 39 sacred prayer books being brought to the Kotel by the women have been exonerated.

In fact, after two years the case has now been closed, with the police claiming at the time, that the action was not a “hate crime” but rather “an expression of fervent religion”. One must ask what sort of religious belief would drive or excuse anyone or group from the inexcusable action of destroying prayer books, even if the perpetrators were not supportive of the religious beliefs of the prayer book owners.

The purposeful destruction of another’s sacred texts can only be seen as an act of hate. It is the same expression of hate that is seen every Rosh Chodesh when Women of the Wall go to the Kotel to pray and are met by spitting screaming extremists who physically attack them. Nowhere in the Judaism I know is this acceptable. On the contrary, it is “an act of HATE” and against all the principles of the love of G-d and the “Other”, no matter who the “other” is. But a fellow Jew, regardless of their set of beliefs and occurring in Eretz Yisrael beggars belief?

It is obvious that Israeli Progressive women have been betrayed and failed by the Israeli police who are no doubt responding to the views of extremists, the Chief Rabbinate, and the Rabbi of the Western Wall.

Through our annual Progressive Appeal, we send funds to the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) and the Israel Religious Action Centre (IRAC). This is not a plea for donations, but rather for you to know that what you give goes to a very good cause that is fundamental to our Progressive Jewish religious beliefs.

Helen Shardey OAM
ARZA Australia President
UPJ Vice President

Participants in the annual Jerusalem Pride Parade on June 1. Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Am Yisrael Chai is the clarion call of the many thousands of Israelis in Jerusalem participating in the Pride Parade under the dark shadow of the new far-right government and the threat of it undermining the Israeli judicial system.

A flag was being carried in the parade that said “There is no Pride without Democracy”. And it’s been observed that Pride flags are the second most seen flags after the Israeli flag at protest gatherings across the country.

This has led to Israeli media commentators not holding back in describing the Netanyahu government as “stupid and malicious”, accusing it of being nightmarish in what it is attempting to do almost each day.

The acts being cited are starting to form a long list. Recently it was about the illegal return to the West Bank outpost of Homesh in contradiction to the 2005 disengagement plan. Then there’s the plan for a controversial construction that it is claimed would cut the West Bank in two. This plan has had to be shelved because it is believed it would stop a two-state solution ever being realised.

The list goes on with assassinations in Gaza seemingly dragging on a conflict after the death of a Palestinian who died as the result of a hunger strike, the cancellation of an annual European Union event because of the toxic Ben-Gvir’s presence. Not a good decision for a government struggling with credibility issues to send such a representative. And the refusal of the US President to invite Netanyahu to the White House appears to be linked to the outrage being expressed across Israel and the Diaspora regarding the judicial overhaul announced by the Coalition Israeli government.

This latter issue has caused massive protests in Israel and the Diaspora. Protests that now in Israel have gone on for the past five months and involve more than the hard left, but very much the broader community and other groups that the Netanyahu government has targeted and demeaned. Groups such as the gay community who fear for their civil rights because the planned judicial overhaul may mean that legislators can ignore the Supreme Court and the protections it has offered.

Interestingly it has been reported that there is a significant group of working people who have put their lives on hold to protest full time. They are said to be from many diverse fields, including those with professional jobs and students prepared to put their studies on hold to have their voices heard. It is said that police keep being surprised by the way large groups of protesters turn up unexpectedly, and they are becoming frustrated and forceful.

The question is now being raised as to how long the Judicial Overhaul protests will ignore the Israeli occupation? Fighting for democracy has been the theme of the protests thus far, but if there was to be a push to change the theme to the occupation, what effect would this have on the thousands of people prepared to take to the streets? Maybe the message would become confused and support would dwindle? An interesting question that many are choosing not to consider.

Of interest is that the protest campaign is reported as now NOT being a “blitzkrieg”, but a prolonged campaign by large numbers supporting a fight for their liberal democracy. There are those saying that if they can’t win, they may as well leave Israel. But this is not what they intend to do. They will stay and fight.

Helen Shardey OAM
ARZA Australia President
UPJ Vice President