At the URJ Biennial: A Dialogue with Prime Minister Netanyahu?

At the URJ Biennial: A Dialogue with Prime Minister Netanyahu? It will be a great honor for the URJ to host Prime Minister Netanyahu at the Biennial next week, for many reasons.  Chief among them is that by his presence at our most important convention, we will be re-affirming our deep connection and commitment to the State of Israel as American Reform Jews, and that the State of Israel returns the expression back to us.  This is an important symbolic appearance for us all, and reason for celebration of our relationship.  We thank him for coming to the Biennial. At the same time, there is more than symbolism at stake in his visit to the URJ Biennial.  Prime Minister Netanyahu has expressed some very strident opinions about Iran lately, and the peace negotiations with the Palestinians have been shaky.  It has clearly been important to him to try to influence public opinion by his statements, many of which have been at odds with the U.S. Administration, and with those of many American Jews and some key Jewish organizations, and one should expect that he will use the opportunity of the URJ Biennial to further try to convince his large audience of URJ listeners of his perspective. Personally, it is my hope that a respectful dialogue will be conducted with Prime Minister Netanyahu about these issues at the Biennial -- both on the interim Geneva agreement with Iran on the nuclear issue, and on the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. Our URJ leadership would be right to express the opinions of the Reform movement to the Prime Minister at the Biennial in the spirit of mutual trust and exchange of ideas and values.  It would be a lost opportunity for the URJ should the Prime Minister's opinions be the only ones voiced on these subjects during his visit with us. Andy Vogel Brookline MA