Opposition leader Yair Lapid met on Monday with North American Jewish leaders in New York, emphasizing the importance of US Jewry and their partnership with Israel to keep it a democratic and Jewish state.
The meeting was hosted by the Jewish Federations of North America at UJA-Federation of New York's headquarters in Manhattan. It included leaders from the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish American Organizations, Jewish Agency for Israel, Israel Policy Forum, National Council of Jewish Women, Hillel International, Orthodox Union, Reconstructing Judaism, Israel Judaism Committee, National Coalition Supporting Soviet Jewry, Zioness, Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, and UJA-Federation of New York.
In his remarks, as quoted by i24NEWS, Lapid said that while governments come and go, the State of Israel remains. He urged American Jews at the UJA-Federation of New York to not give up on the country despite controversy caused by the judicial reform proposed by the current government.
The bond between the two countries is more important and strategic than ever, he said.
Jewish Federations of North America Chair Julie Platt said, “We know that the differences of opinion in Israel today are deep and challenging. We in the Jewish Federation system have expressed our opinions where we felt it necessary to do so, as have other organizations represented here this evening.”
“But above all, together with so many other organizations in this meeting, we have expressed our strongest possible encouragement that every party must do its utmost to seek and find compromise,” she added.
Platt expressed solidarity with Israel amid an escalation in terrorism, as well as with the victims of recent attacks.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently agreed to stop the legislation process of the judicial reform in order to allow for dialogue in an attempt to reach a compromise with the opposition.
The negotiations at the President's Residence have continued during Chol Hamoed Pesach (the intermediate days of Passover), and a marathon of several days of discussions with the participation of the parties' representatives is scheduled to take place after the holiday.