US Jewish leaders said to warn Israel over incoming right-wing government

US Jewish leaders reportedly held a meeting with senior Israeli officials at the embassy in Washington earlier this month to discuss their concerns regarding the incoming right-wing government, warning that policies that targeted LGBT Jews and members of non-Orthodox communities could see American Jews protesting outside the embassy.

According to the report in the Axios news site, the meeting with prominent members of pro-Israel organizations and Shuli Davidovich, the head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry bureau for the Diaspora, took place on December 7, while incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was still negotiating with his far-right and ultra-Orthodox coalition partners.

According to Axios, American participants in the meeting expressed alarm that the new government would pursue policies “that are racist, antagonistic towards both reform and conservative Jews and harm LGBTQ+ rights could damage donations to Israel from the US Jewish community.”

They warned that such moves would also push young American Jews to further distance themselves from Israel and warned of scenarios that could see US Jews protesting outside the embassy in Washington or hundreds flying to protest in Israel.

The report, citing multiple participants in the meeting, says the Israelis were taken aback and urged the Americans not to rush to judgment.