Why did 300 Canadian Jewish leaders sign their names to an open letter published in newspapers?

Three hundred Canadian Jewish leaders have put their names to a full-page letter that appeared in several prominent newspapers to express their concerns about what’s happening in Israel and about the threats to democracy there. The first ad ran in the Saturday edition of the National Post. A slightly different version—using more conciliatory language and supporting the “aspiration to find a renewed and applicable balance between the rulings of the majority of the Knesset and the rulings of the courts”—ran Sunday in two popular centre-left and left-wing Israeli newspapers, Yedioth Ahronoth and Haaretz.

The organizers admit they didn’t plan for the ads to run as late as they did; they had hoped it would be published before Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last week that he would be temporarily pausing the push to reform the judiciary until after Passover, so as to avoid “civil war”. The announcement came as hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets and participated in a nationwide general strike to protest the reforms.

Still, the message from 300 signatories is the latest and the largest single public expression of concern from Canada’s Jewish diaspora since Israel’s right-wing government took power three months ago.

Toronto philanthropist Gary Goldberg and his extended family were among the small group of friends who started the campaign and paid for the ads. Goldberg joins The CJN Daily to explain why they did it.

What we talked about

• Read Phoebe Maltz Bovy writing in_ The CJN _about the history of Jewish open letters
• Lila Sarick on what four Canadian rabbis tell their congregations about Israel, _in The CJN_
• How Halifax got its emergency matzah shipment this weekend, after scarcity, in_ The CJN_

Credits

The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.

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