Jewish organization heads have failed to agree on whether to take a stand on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan.
James Tisch, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, adjourned a closed-door meeting in New York in order to avoid a further rift among heads of more than 50 major Jewish organizations.
Backers of Sharon's plan pushed for the special session to endorse the Prime Minister's proposal to dismantle Jewish communities in Gush Katif and in northern Samaria. The Israeli government sent Danny Ayalon, its ambassador to Washington, to convince the members to issue a statement.
Shaul Yahalom of the National Religious Party, in a letter to conference presidents, urged them to postpone a decision until after the proposed vote in the Knesset in late October.
Two prominent opponents in the bitter debate are heads of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).
ADL director Abraham Foxman previously has criticized orthodox rabbis for their Sept. 23 statement that called for “reasonable debate” on important issues but did not specifically condemn harsh rhetoric against Sharon’s plan. The ADL plans to independently support Sharon if the conference fails to do so.
Morton A. Klein, ZOA president, yesterday said the Conference “should not allow itself to be drawn into a dispute that has deeply divided the Israeli public.” He added that the Conference should not endorse “forcible transfer” of Jews. Klein has vowed to try to block a vote on the plan, claiming its members would need time to study it.
Klein sent a communiqu? to the conference members outlining 11 reasons why not to support the Gaza Withdrawal Plan. He noted that most polls in Israel show there is no overwhelming enthusiastic support for the plan, which he charges would be a reward for terrorists and bring missile threats closer to Tel Aviv.
James Tisch, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, adjourned a closed-door meeting in New York in order to avoid a further rift among heads of more than 50 major Jewish organizations.
Backers of Sharon's plan pushed for the special session to endorse the Prime Minister's proposal to dismantle Jewish communities in Gush Katif and in northern Samaria. The Israeli government sent Danny Ayalon, its ambassador to Washington, to convince the members to issue a statement.
Shaul Yahalom of the National Religious Party, in a letter to conference presidents, urged them to postpone a decision until after the proposed vote in the Knesset in late October.
Two prominent opponents in the bitter debate are heads of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).
ADL director Abraham Foxman previously has criticized orthodox rabbis for their Sept. 23 statement that called for “reasonable debate” on important issues but did not specifically condemn harsh rhetoric against Sharon’s plan. The ADL plans to independently support Sharon if the conference fails to do so.
Morton A. Klein, ZOA president, yesterday said the Conference “should not allow itself to be drawn into a dispute that has deeply divided the Israeli public.” He added that the Conference should not endorse “forcible transfer” of Jews. Klein has vowed to try to block a vote on the plan, claiming its members would need time to study it.
Klein sent a communiqu? to the conference members outlining 11 reasons why not to support the Gaza Withdrawal Plan. He noted that most polls in Israel show there is no overwhelming enthusiastic support for the plan, which he charges would be a reward for terrorists and bring missile threats closer to Tel Aviv.