The indecisive results of the last Israeli election, the fourth in two years, are generally attributed to controversies surrounding Prime Minister Netanyahu. However, the focus on Netanyahu overlooks some of the more fundamental divisions within the Israeli society, which lie at the heart of the current political stalemate. The most important of these divisions are the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the religious-secular divide.
Modern Israel celebrates its 73rd birthday this week. Let me put my cards on the table. I’m not dispassionate when it comes to the country. It is an unparalleled tale of tenacity and determination, of courage and renewal.
The Legion of Honor is France’s highest order of merit. In September 2005, Harris was inducted into the French Legion of Honor at a dinner hosted by the French Minister of Foreign Affairs. Today’s ceremony elevated Harris from a Knight to Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honor.
“No other country on this planet, other than the U.S. and Israel, has had more of a direct impact on my life than France,” said AJC CEO David Harris.
By ruling that those who undergo Reform and Conservative conversions in Israel should be considered Jews under the Law of Return, the High Court of Justice both took a stand for Jewish peoplehood and upheld Israel’s national commitment to equality and religious freedom. The decision does honor to the country’s identity as a Jewish and democratic state.
