Do Not Bar Thinking - Chikli Should Address Conference of Presidents
Dr. Aaron Lerner 16 February 2025

Last Friday, David Schocken, grandson of Gershom, the longtime
editor-in-chief of Haaretz, stunned Haaretz readers with an op-ed in the
Hebrew edition of the paper titled "Not All the Wisdom", in which he slammed
his left-wing camp for turning their backs on any alternative views rather
than contending with them.

The call below is to prevent Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli
from addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish
Organizations because he voted against the hostage deal.

Chikli voted against the deal because he believes that the deal endangers
the lives of ten million Israelis.

You can disagree with his assessment.

But you have absolutely no right to try to silence him.

A technical note: The rabbis who rule that the consequences of the hostage
deal are irrelevant, are following the principle which guided the late Rabbi
Ovadia Yosef when he initially supported Oslo: that any future disastrous
consequences of the move, no matter how disastrous, are not relevant if they
do not transpire within the immediate future - days, weeks or perhaps
months.

I'm not here to argue if the late chief rabbi of Israel was wrong to rule
that a disaster a half a year in the future is not relevant to the
decision-making process, only that it is important to keep this in mind
when relating to such rulings.

Because it is certainly legitimate for others to be concerned about the
consequences of actions beyond six months.

I can think of no greater irony than that Jews from what was once a vibrant
democracy, which held free speech as one of the most cherished values of the
"land of the free", should participate in calling for barring views they
disagree with.

We are facing extremely challenging days.

And the very last thing which we can afford is to navigate them with
blinders on.
=====
Text of the online letter:
info@conferenceofpresidents.org

A Call to the Conference of Presidents: Cancel Minister of Diaspora Affairs
Amichai Chikli's Speech
Dear Conference of Presidents Leadership and Attendees,
William Daroff - CEO,
Harriet Schleifer, - Current chair,
Betsey Korn - Incoming chair

Freed hostages Alexander Troufanov, Iair Horn, and Sagui Dekel Chen have
returned to Israel after 498 days in Gaza captivity, thanks to a hostage
deal that Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli voted against.

I am writing as a deeply concerned member of the Israeli and Jewish American
community regarding the scheduled meeting with Minister of Diaspora Affairs,
Amichai Chikli this Sunday. I urge you to cancel this meeting immediately.

Inviting Minister Chikli-a member of the Israeli government who voted
against the hostage deal and supported keeping 96 men, women, and children
in Gaza-to be your guest of honor is a grave disservice to our Jewish values
of Pidion Shvuiym. This issue goes far beyond political differences; it is
about the very lives of human beings.

Consider this: would you ever welcome a politician in your own country who
opposed the release of hostages? Of course not. Similarly, no American
Jewish community would honor an elected official who stood against the
hostage deal. We must not bestow any form of welcoming to someone whose
actions undermine the urgent mission to secure the safe return of our loved
ones.

With seventy-six hostages still held in Gaza, our commitment to redeeming
captives compels us to act decisively. A meeting with Minister Chikli not
only sends a dangerous message, but also undermines the trust and integrity
of our collective mission. Wearing a yellow ribbon and offering prayers,
while important, are not enough. If you truly care about the hostages, you
must take concrete action-refusing to meet with those who oppose their
release and demanding that President Trump and the Israeli government do
everything in their power to implement the deal and accelerate the return of
all hostages.

By canceling this meeting, you will stand on the right side of history and
join 80% of Israelis who call to end the war and secure a deal that brings
all hostages home immediately. This decisive action would demonstrate
unwavering support for the safe return of our loved ones.

I respectfully ask you to cancel this meeting immediately and reaffirm your
dedication to the redemption of captives. Let us stand together and fight
for the safe return of the hostages whose lives depend on our resolve.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this critical matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
Then, please add your name below to be listed.
(Note: Emails are being collected only to confirm signer identity. They will
not be published.)
________________________________________
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