We must bridge the gap with the diaspora
In his first interview outside of Israel, the Jewish Agency’s new chairman discusses discord with American Jewry — and Jeremy Corbyn
since becoming Jewish Agency chairman, he refuses to rule the option out, insisting: “I know that I’m now giving my body and soul for the Jewish Agency. I don’t know what the political scene will look like (in two years), or what will happen.
“Thank God I’m a young man. If I told you now outright ‘no’, and then everything changes, you’ll say I lied. My life has always led me to the right job and I’ve given everything in that job.”
Not that steering the world’s largest international Jewish organisation at this period of Jewish history is a particularly restful job. His appointment is itself an anomaly, the first time a chairman has been selected from the rival party of Israel’s prime minister.
The endorsement of Mr Herzog by the agency’s board of governors, which is dominated by leaders of the American Jewish community, could not have been a clearer indication of the displeasure felt within the largest Jewish community of the diaspora towards Mr Netanyahu and his government.
While the by-laws of the agency stipulate that the chairman is always an Israeli, he — it has always been a he — is supposed to serve as a two-way ambassador between Israel and the diaspora.
That means the recent leader of the Israeli opposition now must represent all communities and streams and he knows he has his work cut out for him.
Until last year I was the biggest critic of Netanyahu
“Roughly speaking, there isn’t much similarity between the communities of Jerusalem and Babylon,” Mr Herzog says, using the term in rabbinical literature often used to refer to the Jewish diaspora.
“The one in Jerusalem lives a mainly irreligious life, but practices Orthodoxy. The one in Babylon is mainly Reform or Conservative in its practice and lives a life which is not necessarily connected to a Jewish environment. That means, the community living in Israel is Jewish as a given. So they don’t have to necessarily be religious to feel Jewish and that’s a massive gap that is widening.
“Add to that the massive political tension that is hovering over the relationship because of the voices within the American Jewish community who oppose President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu.”
His first order of business has been to try and achieve a ceasefire: “Since I’ve started this job, I am constantly appearing and talking to both sides. I went to every ultraOrthodox member of the Knesset and asked them to shut up about this.
“I spoke with all of them and I told them that what they say goes to the heart of every Jew anywhere and they don’t understand the impact and the damage of what they’re saying. I explained that diapora Jews feel that Israelis are condescending to them and ruling them out. And I told them ‘diaspora Jews are Jews just like you’.”
He believes that despite recent crises, such as over Western Wall prayer areas, it is still possible to build a bridge between such disparate streams of Judaism.
And he is not denying that dislike for the prime minister and his policies is driving a large part of the diaspora’s animus. He concedes it is “a minefield, I’ll tell you frankly. Look, until not long ago I was leader of the opposition and Netanyahu’s biggest critic. And yet, I’m trying to explain to everyone that we have to respect Israeli democracy and the will of the voters. But support for Israel has to be way beyond affection for this or that politician and that’s what I’m trying to tell American Jews.
“It’s not about personalities. It’s something much larger. The historical panorama is much wider than any leader, even if you don’t accept his views.”
The Jewish Agency’s remit is global, but Mr Herzog’s greatest priority is mending relations with the biggest diaspora of them all — in the United States. He has already