Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. leaders on Friday night in an hour-long meeting, spoke about the need to reform Israel's judicial system and tried to convince skeptics in the room that they have a "misconception" about the moves in his government.
Netanyahu presents map of peace in the Middle East \\ Reuters
The discussion took place with about 20 leaders at the Israeli consulate, hours after the prime minister's speech at the UN General Assembly. According to those present at the meeting, Netanyahu answered questions and explained in detail why he claimed the reform was not an erosion of democracy and would not harm population groups such as women, LGBT people and Palestinians.
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism who attended the meeting, said he "appreciated Netanyahu's specificity and the seriousness with which he took the questions," but was still not convinced and Netanyahu's answers did not reassure him.
Netanyahu's speech at the UN,
Among those attending the meeting were representatives from the Jewish Federations of North America, the American Jewish Committee, the Conference of Presidents of America's Major Jewish Organizations, the Anti-Defamation League, the Orthodox Union, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the Jewish National Fund, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the World Jewish Congress, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Young Israel, Hadassah, and Agudat Israel. Leaders from the local Persian, Syrian and Bukharian communities were also present.
Also present at the meeting was Prime Minister Sara Netanyahu's wife, who, while hearing the questions, intervened and asked the president of the Union for Reform Judaism if he would also condemn calls for violence against her family and other senior government officials. To which he replied that of course he would condemn it.
Netanyahu landed in the US, photo: Ariel Hakahana
In another part of the meeting, one of the most prominent leaders in the Jewish community addressed Netanyahu and told him that American Jews have been struggling to defend Israel lately "when senior officials in your government make racist remarks," and asked Netanyahu why he tolerated such rhetoric from his partners.
Netanyahu responded to his question that he cannot control everyone and that there are many other countries that have a bigger problem with this phenomenon.
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