“As one people and with one heart” (RASHI on Exodus 19:2)

The statement below was voted upon the the recent Jewish Agency for Israel's Board of Governors meeting. This statement includes a rejection of attempts by some in positions of power in Israel to sideline non-Orthodox Jews and even criminalize our practice at our holy sites.

Statement : “As one people and with one heart” (RASHI on Exodus 19:2)

Since its founding, the Jewish Agency has worked to serve as a bridge between world Jewry and the State of Israel. In that spirit, the Jewish Agency proudly affirms its commitment to world Jewry in all its diversity—and commits to actively working to prevent any attempt to discriminate against or exclude Jews. All Jews, including but not limited to Reform, Conservative and Orthodox, deserve equal respect, dignity, full inclusion and recognition.

A diverse, pluralistic, and tolerant Judaism has been and remains one of the cornerstones of Zionism and of the resilience of the Jewish people.

To that end, the Committee for the Unity of the Jewish People expresses its concern to recent proposed legislations in the Knesset that undermine Jewish pluralism and weaken the Jewish People.

In consonance with the recently adopted Resolution 5 of the 39th World Zionist Congress, we call on the Knesset to reject any attempt to criminalize egalitarian prayer at the Kotel, and to uphold recent Supreme Court decisions to provide full access and equal quality of experience to the Egalitarian Kotel platform.

In that same spirit, we urge the current and future Knesset to reject any attempt to change the status quo regarding the Law of Return.

The leadership of the National Institutions shall advocate on behalf of the Jewish people, educating Israelis on the importance of Jewish unity and Israel- World Jewry mutual responsibility.

Furthermore, at this time ahead of elections in Israel, the Jewish Agency, as a body representing the full breadth of the Jewish people in Israel and abroad, calls for real accountability: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). The Jewish Agency sees it as existentially important that public discourse be conducted with respect and responsibility. This type of discourse expresses mutual dignity even in times of disagreement and serves as a vital source of strength in our ability to stand as one people against the threats and challenges we face, both internal and external.

We therefore call on Israeli leaders as well as Jewish leadership worldwide, to maintain that respect in their public discourse, and to act and speak with respect towards Jews of all streams.

Only by preserving the unity of the Jewish people, while honoring the differences and diversity within it, can we continue to strengthen the deep bond between Israel and world Jewry.

Approved

Board of Governors

June 30, 2026