Jakobovits’ Statement Greeted with Surprise in Israel

Israelis reacted with surprise today to a public statement by Britain’s Chief Rabbi immanuel Jakobovits in which he maintained that the key to peace for Israel was a settlement with the Palestinians and did not rule out the eventual creation of a Palestinian state to exist peacefully side-by-side with Israel.

Jakobovits’ remarks; made to a group of Anglo-Jewish and Israeli journalists who attended a luncheon at his home in London yesterday, appeared certain to regenerate the controversy over whether Jewish leaders abroad have a right to comment publicly on matters concerning Israeli foreign and defense policies.

Interior Minister Yosef Burg, a leader of the National Religious Party and Israel’s chief negotiator in the autonomy talks with Egypt, expressed disbelief. Burg told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that he has asked the Israel Embassy in London for a full transcript of Jakobovits’ remarks and would comment only after reading it. He indicated that he hoped the JTA’s account, prominently featured in the Israeli media today, would prove inaccurate. Anglo-Jewish sources have already confirmed the JTA account.

Rabbi Menachem HoCohen, a Labor MK who, like Jakobovits, is an Orthodox rabbi but moderate in his views, welcomed the British Chief Rabbi’s statements. He told the JTA that he would be meeting with Jakobovits in London next week and would seek to strengthen and encourage him.

The question of whether Jewish leaders overseas should criticize Israeli policies publicly and advocate positions at variance with those official policies has been hotly debated for some time, here and abroad. Dr. Avraham Avi-Hai, a member of the World Zionist Organization Executive and chairman of Keren Hayesod, addressed himself to that issue in an article that was published in the Jerusalem Post today but written before Jakobovits’ remarks.

Directing his views to both hawks and doves, Avi-Hai argued that Jews abroad should not involve themselves in sensitive areas of defense and foreign policy because they do not live in Israel and do not share the risks. However, he said they did have a right to speak out publicly on matters involving religion, culture and the social and economic aspects, of Israeli policy since many of them are active and involved partners in those spheres.