The subcomittee for Foreign Affairs and Defense headed by Robert Ilatov discussed Tuesday trends in American Jewry and their influence on Israel. MK Avi Dichter(Likud) said that "the connection between American Jewry and the state of Israel is a strategic asset, and weakening of this asset is a real threat to the state of Israel."
Alon Friedman of the Hillel organization stated that "a Jew is not a person whose grandfather was Jewish but rather one whose grandson will be Jewish. Jewish life on campus is influenced by American agendas. The state of Israel has become a divisive and not a unifying factor due to the dispute with the Palestinians and the delegitimization of Reform and Conservative communities. They will always criticize a Jew who supports Israel by stating that he supports a country which doesn't accept him, so its important to stress Israel's liberal values."