Leaders of a major American Jewish organization warned a visiting senior Israeli diplomat at a meeting in Washington earlier this month that policies being promoted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition partner could seriously damage the Jewish state’s relationship with the diaspora.

The Dec. 7 meeting came at the height of coalition talks Netanyahu is holding with leaders from various Orthodox parties slated to join his government.

In earlier days, Netanyahu agreed to give the head of the right-wing Noam party, Avi Maoz, a role in the next government with authority over the Education Ministry unit responsible for informal education in Israeli schools. The leader of the anti-LGBT party went on to say that he would work to end women’s service at the IDF and the annual Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade.

Negotiators from the right-wing Religious Zionism faction Otzma Yehudit and Noam, as well as from the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties, also demanded in talks with Netanyahu that Israel stop recognizing non-Orthodox conversions to Judaism, in addition to the removal of the so-called “religious clause” clause. grandchildren” in Israel’s Law of Return, which guarantees citizenship to anyone who has at least one Jewish parent or grandparent, as long as they do not practice another religion.

It was in this context that the head of the Foreign Office’s Office of Diaspora, Shuli Davidovich, held a meeting at the Israeli Embassy in Washington with a dozen leaders of traditional Jewish organizations, including the president of a conference of major American Jewish organizations. organizations, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Orthodox Union, National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Washington Jewish Federation, Greater Washington Council for Jewish Community Relations, and the Naomi & Nehemia Cohen Foundation.

Three participants spoke to The Times of Israel about the “intense” and secret encounter, which was first reported by news site Axios.

Thanks to Shuli Davidovich, Head of Diaspora Office @IsraelMFAfor taking the time to talk to leaders from across Greater Washington this past week.

Photo: @JCRCgw pic.twitter.com/MVs1Q225x4

— Greater Washington Jewish Federation (@JFGW) December 15, 2022

“According to me [the Israeli embassy] I wanted it to be an “we’re here for you” meeting, but we were there like, “Wait a minute, not everything is the same and not everything is normal.” This is a big problem for Diaspora Jews and it could be a big problem for you,” said one Jewish leader.

Participants expressed concern about a proposal put forward by Netanyahu’s coalition partners that targets LGBTQ people, gender equality, non-Orthodox Jews, and Palestinians, said the second leader, noting that it was not carried out with malicious intent and that its aim was only “to raise concerns which we received. ”. from our own community.

Leaders who spoke to The Times of Israel said Israeli diplomats in the room took advantage of the meeting to listen in, but appeared taken aback by the extent of the warning, which “appeared to have been off their radar.”

“It was a conventional group they formed, and I think that’s why they were worried,” said one attendee.

The Jewish executive said he realized that supporters of the new government were pushing for a wait-and-see approach. “However, the Israeli Embassy must understand that while its objective is to build deep ties between Diaspora Jews and the State of Israel, [then] The fact of talking or speculating about suppression of the rights of LGBTQ people or women or Reformed, etc., is already having an impact on people’s relationship with the State of Israel.

“And if you’ve impacted people now, imagine what it would be like if these things actually happened,” said one participant, summarizing the message from the meeting.