Kotel, converts key issues at Jewish Agency meetings

Community leaders gather in Jerusalem

Israel must prioritize strengthening the Jewish world, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said at the opening session of the Jewish Agency Board of Governors Autumn meetings on Sunday.

“I am convinced that we will find the way to renew the Western Wall compromise with the Conservative and Reform movements in one way or another,” he told the hundreds of community leaders gathered at the David Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem. “Today, everyone understands what I said in the government: that if Jerusalem is defined not only as the capital of the State of Israel but also as the eternal capital of the Jewish people, it is impossible to ignore the aspirations and desires of the Jewish communities in the Diaspora.”

At a time when the global order is being weakened, Israel needs to invest more in strengthening Jewish identity and education in the Diaspora, Steinitz said, and strengthening ties not only between Israel and the Diaspora, but also between Jewish communities to ensure the continued existence of the Jewish people in future generations.

Members of the board were set to meet with dozens of ministers and MKs over three days of meetings. The crisis over the canceled agreement for the egalitarian prayer section at the Western Wall is expected to be a major focus of meetings, as well as a contentious bill promoted by the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties to grant the Chief Rabbinate a total monopoly over Jewish conversion in Israel.