We recognise the unique role which the Land of Israel has played
in the history, prayers and hopes of our people through the ages.
We also acknowledge that the discrimination and persecution, culminating
in the Holocaust, which have so often been the lot of our people
during the centuries of their dispersion, have made the re-establishment
of an autonomous Jewish community in our ancient homeland a matter
of urgent necessity. We therefore salute the Pioneers of Zionism
and the founders and defenders of the State of Israel whose vision
and courage have turned that dream into reality.
We reaffirm our love for the Land of Israel, our solidarity with
our brothers and sisters who dwell within its borders, and our
commitment to the State of Israel. We rejoice in its existence,
delight in its achievements, care about its security, seek its
welfare, believe in its future, and hope for the ever fuller realisation
of the ideals set forth in its Proclamation of Independence, so
that it may become more and more a force for good in the life
of the Jewish people, of the Middle East region and of humanity.
We also reaffirm our faith in the Diaspora. In spite of the sufferings
our people have experienced in dispersion, there have been nations
which have welcomed Jews as citizens, and periods of Jewish religious
and cultural creativity stimulated by close contact with other
religions and cultures. Moreover, as a universal religion, Judaism
is in principle at home anywhere on God's earth, and since it
has a redemptive contribution to make to the life of humanity
(to be 'a light to the nations'), it is positively desirable that
there should be a Jewish presence in many lands. We therefore
urge the importance of maintaining strong, confident and self-
respecting Jewish communities in the Diaspora.
We endorse Rabbi Leo Baeck's perception of the Jewish people as
an ellipse having two foci. Israel and the Diaspora have somewhat
different roles to play, but they both exist for the same ultimate
purpose, defined by Judaism, and should therefore be seen as equal
partners in a common task.
We desire to see a constructive relationship, of mutual respect,
support and enrichment between Israel and the Diaspora. We believe
that the Diaspora has the responsibility of sharing in the upbuilding
of the State of lsrael as a haven of refuge and a society where
Jews can live in dignity and set an example to mankind. We therefore
urge our communities to continue and intensify all appropriate
endeavours, including cultural activities, financial support for
humanitarian purposes in Israel, and the encouragement of individual
and group visits to Israel, towards that end.
We believe that these endeavours should include the presentation
of Aliyah as a noble option available to Diaspora Jews, and the
encouragement of those who choose to seek their self-fulfilment,
and to make their contribution to Jewish life, in that way. However,
we reaffirm our belief that full participation in Jewish life
in the Diaspora, to ensure its continuation, is equally honourable.
We demand full acceptance of the principle of religious pluralism,
with all its implications, both in Israeli law and in the Zionist
and communal organisations of the Diaspora. This requires that
Progressive Judaism, as well as Conservative Judaism, be accorded
recognition and respect, rights and opportunities, on terms of
absolute equality with Orthodox Judaism. We regard this as a matter
of justice, which is therefore independent of numerical considerations,
and non-negotiable.
We believe that the Israel-Diaspora partnership requires mutual
respect as well as open, candid and vigorous discussion of common
concerns between the partners and within each. Such discussion
should not exclude responsible criticism of particular governmental
policies or other aspects of Israeli society, expressed with loving
concern and due deliberation.
For every possible reason, including its own long-term survival,
Israel's greatest need is to 'seek peace and pursue it' (Psalm
34:15). We recognise that there is room for a variety of views
as to the best way of attaining that objective, but it seems to
us self-evident that the whole ethos of Judaism in general, and
of Liberal Judaism in particular, should incline us towards the
view of those who would cede territory for lasting peace. Reconciliation
between Jews and Arabs is a goal towards which we strive. Concern
for secure borders and political and military stability needs
to be seen as compatible with justice for all. The legitimate
security demands of Israel can - and must - be reconciled with
the human and political rights of Palestinian Arabs. It is for
all these reasons that we support the concept of territorial compromise.
Our endorsement of these principles is in basic accord with a
resolution adopted in 1984 by the Central Conference of American
Rabbis (CCAR), the world's largest rabbinic assembly, with over
1200 members. We believe that we have a Jewish religious duty
to foster, especially within Anglo-Jewry, a climate of opinion
supportive of the quest for peace. This requires us to keep ourselves
well informed, to seek an objective understanding of the issues,
and to exemplify and encourage the forces of moderation and reconciliation
rather than those of strident partisanship.
We applaud all sincere peace initiatives, and believe that such
plans should always be sympathetically considered for their possible
merits rather than rejected out of hand for their perceived inadequacies.
Likewise we welcome all contacts and conversations between the
protagonists of the conflict in the Middle East and their respective
supporters in Britain which may help to lessen tension, dispel
ignorance, overcome mistrust, and build bridges of understanding.
We call upon all States which have not already done so to recognise
the State of Israel and establish normal relations with it. We
ask all religious communities to try to understand the importance
of the State of Israel for the Jewish people. We pledge ourselves
to work together with all nations and religions for the achievement
of peace in the Middle East, and for the cessation of war, terrorism
and all forms of violence, the relief of suffering, and the establishment
of justice, in all societies everywhere.
