Local rabbis sign on to new centrist pro-Israel group

A new pro-Israel organization that aims to give rabbis a middle ground between AIPAC and J Street has the attention of several local rabbis.

Rabbis for Israel, launched last month by Rabbi Michael Boyden of Hod Hasharon, Israel, bills itself as a centrist group dedicated to a two-state solution with peace and security for Israel. More than 230 rabbis, including six from Northern New Jersey, have signed on to the group’s mission statement.

“I was amazed that so many leading rabbis from all streams and from all over the world, including North America, Israel, and Europe, should have chosen to identify with Rabbis for Israel in such a short space of time,” Boyden said in a statement. “The response shows the degree to which many Jewish leaders are thirsty for an advocacy group that represents the middle ground in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.”

Rabbi Jonathan Woll, of the Progressive Havura of Northern New Jersey in Glen Rock, met Boyden during a visit by the Israeli rabbi to Woll’s now-defunct Temple Avoda in Fair Lawn. When Woll heard of Boyden’s group, he quickly signed on because of its centrist position.

Woll had been an early supporter of J Street, which hailed itself as pro-Israel and pro-peace, but he became disappointed with it.

“When we came to the flotilla incident,” and J Street’s swift condemnation of Israel, “my disappointment … really gave way to some kind of uncertainty in their position,” he said. “I do respect [J Street founder] Mr. [Jeremy] Ben-Ami. I think he’s a highly intelligent individual. His positions are not for the most part untenable.”

Rabbi Neal Borovitz of Temple Avodat Shalom in River Edge echoed Woll’s disappointment with J Street, which, he said, wrongly equates equality with equity, assigning equal blame to Israel and the Palestinians.

“They’re looking at it to a certain degree through a colored lens that doesn’t let them see the reality of where the Middle East peace process has gone over the 33 years since [the late Egyptian President Anwar] Sadat came to Jerusalem,” he said.

Borovitz, chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council of UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey, didn’t shy away from criticizing AIPAC either.

“AIPAC has taken an unrealistic view of the Middle East peace process that is far too hardline for me on issues of the territories and settlements and defending what I think are indefensible actions,” he said. “Both of these very vocal pro-Israel lobbies — and I believe J Street is pro-Israel as well — have found themselves caught up in both American and Israeli partisan politics and are failing to represent a moderate centrist voice that is critically supportive of Israel.”

Disagreeing with specific Israeli policies or actions does not negate overall support of the Jewish state, said Temple Emanu-El of Closter’s Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner, who recently returned from three and half weeks in Israel.

He pointed to the recent flap over Arizona’s immigration law. Just because he disagrees with the law does not mean that he will not visit Arizona or stop loving America, he said. Similarly, American Jews need to be able to equally express criticism of Israel without abandoning support of the Jewish state.

“We can be a liberal and love and support Israel and we can be a conservative and love and support Israel,” he said. “It should be something that is part of the core of every Jewish person — even those secular and non-Jewish people who can appreciate what Israel brings to the world.”

For the complete statement, go to www.rabbisforisrael.org