Resolution Adopted by the
CCAR
SUPPORT FOR
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN ISRAEL
Resolution
adopted at the 111th Convention of the
Central
Conference of American Rabbis
March, 2000
WHEREAS,
Israel’s Declaration of Independence established Israel as a Jewish
and democratic state guaranteeing freedom of religion and conscience,
stating: "The State of Israel will be founded on the principles
of freedom, justice and peace as envisioned by the prophets of Israel;
will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all
its inhabitants, irrespective of religion, race or sex; will guarantee
freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and
culture," and
WHEREAS, Israel as yet has no written
constitution, and
WHEREAS, Israel’s system of Basic Laws,
which function in the interim in place of a written constitution, do
not as yet guarantee freedom of religion, and
WHEREAS,
Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist Judaism do not enjoy equal
status under Israeli law and nor are secular Israelis free from
religious coercion, and
WHEREAS, issues of religious
freedom are high on the public agenda in Israel, and
WHEREAS, the clear majority of the Israeli public, including
new immigrants and veteran Israelis, support religious pluralism and
have expressed their support for a constitutional law guaranteeing
freedom of religion, and
WHEREAS, hundreds
of thousands in Israel, including new immigrants and veteran Israelis,
born Jews and Jews by Choice encounter obstacles in marriage and
divorce as a result of the current state of the law, which does not
fully acknowledge freedom of religion, in violation of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, and
WHEREAS, through
the efforts of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism through the
Israel Religious Action Center (sponsored by ARZA/World Union-North
America), MARAM, the World Union of Progressive Judaism, and Hebrew
Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion tremendous progress has
been made in advancing the cause of religious pluralism in Israel and
in raising liberal Jewish consciousness in the Israeli public, as
exemplified by the recent public opinion poll which demonstrated that
31% of the Israeli public most identified with Reform Judaism, with an
additional 10% most identifying with Conservative Judaism and only 28%
most identifying with Orthodox Judaism, and
WHEREAS, in the last year many Israeli schools and
communities have turned to the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism
requesting a variety of actions from establishing a synagogue in their
community to developing cooperative educational programs promoting
liberal Jewish values, and
WHEREAS,
Progressive Judaism in Israel has been successful in promoting
coalitions with other like-minded grassroots organizations, and
WHEREAS, AZRA/World Union-North America, through its
Advocacy Committee has endorsed the establishment of "Attorneys
for Religious Freedom in Israel" to enlist legal professionals in
supporting the cause of religious freedom and pluralism in Israel, in
conjunction with the advocacy work of the Israel Religious Action
Center, and
WHEREAS, the Israel Religious Action
Center, representing Progressive Judaism, plays a leading role in
forging this coalition along with such organizations as the
Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the New Israel Fund, HEMDAT,
the Masorti (Conservative) Movement and many others, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, that the CCAR pledge continued and increased
support and partnership in the critical endeavors which the Israel
Movement for Progressive Judaism, the Israel Center, MARAM, the World
Union of Progressive Judaism, and Hebrew Union College-Jewish
Institute of Religion have undertaken, and
BE IT
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the CCAR wholeheartedly support the effort to
enact a Basic Law of Religious Freedom in Israel, as advocated by the
wide coalition of Israeli organizations, including the Israel
Religious Action Center as representative of Progressive Judaism, the
Masorti Movement (Conservative), the Israel Women’s Network, Na
‘amat. This coalition called "Joint Front for Religious Freedom
in Israel" is coordinated by "Constitution for Israel"
and HEMDAT, the umbrella organization for freedom of religion, culture
and science in Israel, and
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the CCAR support the new, emerging coalition efforts
focusing on establishing legal recognition for freedom to choose civil
as well as Non-Orthodox religious alternatives to marriage and
divorce, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the CCAR
endorse the establishment of Attorneys for Religious Freedom in
Israel, to enlist legal professionals in supporting the cause of
religious freedom and pluralism in Israel, and encourages its members
to assist in soliciting legal professionals in their communities to
become members of Attorneys for Religious freedom in Israel, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the CCAR express its
appreciation to the many Israeli State leaders, both in the government
coalition and in the opposition, who, more than in any prior era of
Israeli history, are voicing their support for the values of
democracy, the rule of law, and religious freedom and pluralism, and
the CCAR will endeavor to reach out to them and work in partnership
with them to make the progressive Jewish vision of the State of Israel
come alive.