Jewish unity?

There is still a big debate going on about the conversion issue, whether or not the Orthodox should maintain control over all conversions, or whether Reform and Conservative conversions should be acceptable in Israel. Of course, Israel cannot have anything to say about conversions that occur in other countries, including the US. But, if the convert is not considered Jewish here in the Jewish State, what does that mean about Judaism, will it no longer be a unified religion or will it gradually split apart to form two or three even more distinct sects. The forthcoming Knesset debate and vote on a conversion bill will determine in Israeli law how converts both in Israel and those from abroad will be treated. At present there are ca. 200,000 non-Jews in Israel who are waiting to be converted or are waiting for their conversions to be confirmed. Applying strict Orthodox requirements to all of these people is both unfair and unrealistic. Such a situation cannot continue, a resolution to the crisis must be found, and discussions between the two sides will be continuing for the next six months. PM Netanyahu has stated that failure to accommodate the non-Orthodox sects to which a majority of American Jews belong will cause a split in the Jewish people.

But, maybe a split has already developed, and we are just seeing the symptoms of that. One measure of this, for example, is the commitment to Israel that is distinct between the two groups. Yes, the vast majority of American and Diaspora Jews support Israel, but how many would be prepared to fight for it, or even less, how many would be prepared to argue vociferously for Israel's right to exist. Many Jews in the Diaspora are not only liberal, in fact that is the main feature of Reform and Conservative Judaism, but they often take on the opinions of the people around them in order not to stand out, in order to fit into the conventional wisdom. If it is believed that Israel is a dangerous, aggressive, militaristic, occupying State, how many Jews are prepared to stand out and reject that (untrue) view. Israeli Jews, especially those of draft age that join the IDF, know that they must be prepared to fight and die for their country. But, Israel is not "the country" of American Jews. One might even ask how many liberal American Jews would be prepared to fight and die for America? The liberal ethos if not to fight, but to negotiate, as Pres. Obama, supported by ca. 75% of American Jews, has made his particular policy.

Nevertheless, every month hundreds of American Jews make aliyah to Israel, and I personally know of three American Jewish immigrants who died fighting for Israel. And many of these immigrants are not Orthodox. So there can be no clear-cut answer. Nevertheless, Israel must remain the State of all the Jews, of all persuasions, and any attempt to prevent that by the reactionary forces of Othodoxy will lead to potential disaster, a self-inflcited wound much worse than anything the Arabs could do to us.