So, Should American Jews have a voice in shaping Israel's policies?

So, Should American Jews have a voice in shaping Israel's policies?

Notes from San Diego: Prime Minister Olmert might need to discuss Jewish American involvement in Israeli politics with Kadima's Knesset member Menachem Ben Sasson.

1.

I wrote about this same topic a couple of weeks ago.

The subject that triggered my interest back then was different - right wing American Jews working against Israeli compromises in Jerusalem. You can read all about this topic in the exchange I'm having this week with my Guest, Jeff Ballabon. He is unapologetic when it comes to this kind of involvement: we didn't ask for permission, he wrote, and we don't need it. This falls more or less in line with what I wrote in my previous discussion of this new Jewish-American involvement:

"The naked, unvarnished truth is this: The new generation of American Jewish organizations and philanthropists no longer supports 'Israel' in the sense that they support whatever Israel decides that it is in its best interest. They support the Israeli political camp that's more to their liking, and the actions that seem in tandem with their core beliefs."

2.

So, why was I tempted to write about it again?

It was Israeli Knesset member Menachem Ben Sasson that ignited my new interest. At the second part of this week I'm attending the Jewish Reform Biennial in San Diego California (I will be writing more about this gathering as part of my The changing Face of Judaism series, probably later next week). Ben Sasson was one of the speakers this morning, in a session mostly dedicated to Israel (there is more Israel in this event than you might have thought if you read the interview with rabbi Meir Azari in last week's Haaretz, and he will be the first to admit this).

And guess what he was asking the delegates and the participants: more involvement?

Involvement.

And not in this you-support-whatever-we-do-and-keep-your-mouth-shut-fashion that people expect from an Israeli representative. Ben Sasson was asking Reform Jews of America to help him pressure the Israeli legislature to complete and pass a constitution. "You are requested to be involved," he said. Then he hesitated and elevated it from the simple request to "please" and then even further to "beg." He was begging them to get involved in an - well, there's no other way to describe this - Israeli internal political debate. He thinks they will be his partners in this journey toward a constitution.

3.

Is constitution for Israel a good idea? I'm not so sure, but that's not the topic in this item. Whether it is good or bad for Israel is probably something Israelis should be deciding.

Or maybe not just them?

4.

Ben Sasson is a member of Kadima, the party in power, led by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. When Olmert was asked a couple of weeks ago, while he was visiting Washington (and Annapolis) whether American Jews should have a voice when it comes to Jerusalem he was evidently irritated.

Olmert said: "Does any Jewish organization have a right to confer upon Israel what it negotiates or not? This question was decided a long time ago. The government of Israel has a sovereign right to negotiate anything on behalf of Israel." Whatever he really meant - Olmert said later that he did want an "input" - some American leaders thought he was trying to push them away from the process of discussing the future peace agreement with the Palestinian leadership. As my colleague Aluf Benn and I explained that day in our daily Annapolis Diary, "Olmert pissed them off further by telling them, in rather harsh language, that he simply didn't care about their opinion."

5.

So we have a couple of options here.

It is not a test, but you can take your own guess:

A. Ben Sasson and Olmert might not have the same opinion concerning Jewish American involvement in matters of internal Israeli politics.

B. Discussing the constitution is somehow fundamentally different from discussing Jerusalem.

C. As far as Israeli politicians are concerned, involvement is welcomed as long as the involved agree with the politician supporting their involvement.

6.

And as for Knesset members who keep missing sessions devoted to discussing the constitution and don't take it seriously enough:

Beware - the Reform movement has your number.

More Jewish World news and features