Opinion

OTHER VIEWS

Wrongly Injecting Israel

I

s anyone surprised that the
so-called Baker-Hamilton
report would link the Iraq
crisis to the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict? It is almost inevitable
that whenever a major issue aris-
es in the Middle East, somehow
the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is
cited as a cause. The implication,
of course, is whether it's Iraq or
some other "crisis" in the Middle
East, it's Israel's fault.
So what else is new?
Forget that the political fac-
tions of the respective problems
never cite the Palestinian issue.
It is always voices like those
from the United Nations, France,
Germany and officials like for-
mer U.S. Secretary of State James
Baker.
Anyone hear the Shiites pro-
claim that if only Israel would
talk to the Palestinians they
would stop killing Sunnis?
Anyone remember the Sunnis
saying the reverse, i.e., they
would live in peace with Shiites if
Palestinians only had their own
state? Has Iraqi Prime Minister
Nuri Kamal al-Maliki said his
hands are tied because the

neighboring dispute
in Israel has not been
solved?
Did the Iranian
president say he wants
to "wipe Israel off the
map," or did he say, "I
will wipe Israel off the
map unless Israel settles
with the Palestinians"?
If memory serves, it was
the former.
Has Hamas or
Hezbollah said it
would recognize Israel and
live in peace with its neighbor
if Israel negotiates with the
Palestinians? And then there is
Jordan — which slaughtered
thousands of Palestinians during
Black September in 1970 when
they tried to take over — never
missing an opportunity to blame
Israel for every Mideast problem
except rising bread prices.
Whatever the problems indige-
nous to the Iraqi crisis, they have
little, if anything to do with Israel.
And James Baker and his com-
mittee know it.
Baker is playing his usual
anti-Israel card — one he dealt

many times during
his tenure as head
of this country's
foreign policy. He
also knows that such
a proposal placates
the Arab countries,
particularly his close
friends, the Saudis.
The report was
another opportunity
for Baker — who
incidentally has his
own sordid record
bolstering Saddam Hussein as
Iraqi president twice when he
served Bush I — to pressure
Israel. This is, after all, the man
who, when told a specific policy
might anger Jews in the U.S.,
responded with all the diplomacy
fitting a Secretary of State by
replying: "F
the Jews, they
didn't vote for us [Republicans]
anyway."
Specifically, the Baker-
Hamilton report recommended
talks involving Israel, the
Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon.
To his credit, Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert immedi-
ately made clear that Israel does

not see a linkage between Iraq
and his country. Said Olmert:
"The Middle East has a lot of
problems that are not connected
to us. The attempt to create a
linkage between the Iraqi issue
and the Mideast issue — we
have a different view!"
He recognizes that such
talks would pressure Israel to
surrender the Golan Heights,
make more concessions to the
Palestinians and Lebanon as well
— while receiving nothing in
return.
Martin Peretz, editor of the
New Republic, pointed out
(before the Baker report was
released publicly) that Baker
saved Saddam twice — once
during the Iraq-Iran War when
he had the U.S. side with Iraq
and, later, when he refused to
take down the Iraqi leader in the
1991 war. Peretz predicted that
Baker would "deploy the only
trick he knows, force Israel to
retreat to the 1967 lines" which
is the implication of the Baker-
Hamilton recommendation
for talks with the Palestinians,
Syrians and Lebanese.

But Peretz astutely notes that
resolution of the Palestinian ques-
tion would be a "key to nothing
but itself' Peretz wrote, again,
before publication of the Baker-
Hamilton report: "It [resolution
between the Palestinians and
the Israelis] would not affect the
bloodshed in Iraq. It would not
even affect the strife in Lebanon.
It would not calm the anxieties of
the Saudi monarch. Or the clamor
for freedom in Egypt."
He was prescient in predicting
Baker's recommendation and he
is right in his analysis should the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict be
settled.
A more objective report than
the one produced by Baker as it
deals with the Palestinian issue
might find "linkage" between
such reports and finding con-
structive and palpable solutions
that could bring peace to the
Middle East. Li]

A former political reporter, Berl

Falbaum, an author and Farmington

Hills public relations executive,

teaches journalism part time at

Wayne State University in Detroit.

Decision Reflects Conservative Movement's Values

New York/ITA

C

onservative Judaism
has taken a historic step
by opening a door to
the ordination of gay men and
lesbians and to same-sex com-
mitment ceremonies. In line with
Conservative Judaism's most
cherished values, this decision
reflects both a reasoned approach
toward Halachah (Jewish law)
and respect for ever-evolving
Conservative beliefs and practices.
It is important to understand
that the responsa, or decisions,
of the Rabbinical Assembly's
Committee on Jewish Law and
Standards — of which I am a vot-
ing member — force nothing on
Conservative Jews. Instead they
provide options to them based on
the Conservative understanding
of Jewish law.
Conservative Judaism has
always looked upon change as an
organic process. As Conservative

28 December 14 2006

Jews, we are equal
is the correct course of
partners in the
action. Both positions
process of creating
now are considered
an authentic and
valid.
resonant Judaism that
This, too, is in keeping
gives full recognition
with the Conservative
to the claims of the
way: Diversity has long
past while consider-
been a basic truth of
ing the realities of the
our movement. We draw
present.
strength from these dif-
Those Conservative
Rabbi Jerome
ferences as they help us
communities and
M. Epstein
to recognize the dignity
institutions prepared
Special
in all Jews, in all people
to move forward in
Commentary
'and in competing views.
accordance with the
A basic tenet of the
Law Committee's decision now
Conservative movement is that
are free to engage openly gay and
each congregational rabbi is the
lesbian rabbis and cantors and
mara d'atra, the final arbiter
to host same-sex commitment
of Jewish law, within his or her
ceremonies. Those that opt for the congregation. As executive vice
status quo are equally free to do
president of United Synagogue of
so. The communities, under the
Conservative Judaism, I act as the
direction of their rabbis, are the
organization's mara d'atra.
final authorities; change is a pro-
In that capacity, I have decided
cess generated from within.
that United Synagogue hiring
There is no judgment in the
policy may be changed. I will rec-
committee's decision about which
ommend to the United Synagogue

leadership that we modify our
practice and consider applicants
for United Synagogue jobs regard-
less of their sexual orientation.
No longer does Conservative
Halachah stand in the way of fully
engaging gay men and lesbians in
United Synagogue's work environ-
ment or elsewhere in Conservative
institutional and synagogue life.
The point about Halachah is
an important one. Conservative
Judaism remains a Halachah-
based movement.
Scholarship in the nuances
of Halachah is a hallmark of
Conservative Judaism, and seri-
ous scholarship was applied in
the course of the deliberations
that led to the Law Committee's
decision.
Whenever Halachah can be
interpreted to include gay men
and lesbians, we have done so;
when it cannot be so interpreted,
we say so honestly.
Even the wisest of human deci-

sions involves trade-offs. Tension
among passionately held view-
points in sincere and respectful
opposition is unavoidable.
This can be painful. I fully
recognize that some Conservative
Jews will find the committee's
decision difficult to reconcile with
their personal views. I urge them
to accept the pluralism that has
been a hallmark of our movement
and focus on the values, ideology
and practices that unite us.
It is up to each congregation
— and each Conservative Jew
— to grapple with this deci-
sion as best he or she can. The
United Synagogue will be there, as
always, to provide guidance and
resources. The United Synagogue
is committed to standing by the
side of each congregation as it
works through this process in its
own way and its own time.
Conservative Judaism's great

Epstein on page 29

