The US Jews worry about its ties with Israel government

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – The Jewish leaders in the United States  are sounding alarms about what they see as a threat to Israel’s democracy posed by its new government.

As AP reported they fear it will erode the independence of its judiciary and legal protections for minority groups.

While some Jewish leaders dismiss such fears are overblown, a solid majority of mainstream Jewish American groups are voicing unprecedented criticism of the Israeli government, raising fears about a growing rift between Israel and the predominately liberal American Jewish population.

Some progressive voices have gone even further, saying Israel can never truly be a democracy as long as it rules over millions of Palestinians who do not have the right to vote.

The controversies come even amid a flare-up of deadly violence involving Israelis and Palestinians.

On Wednesday, Israeli troops conducted a raid in the West Bank, triggering fighting that killed at least 11 Palestinians and wounded scores.

Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu took office as prime minister in December after the country’s fifth election in less than four years. His coalition allies include ultra-Orthodox parties and ultranationalist parties dominated by hardline West Bank settlers.

Critics are alarmed about coalition members’ wish list of expanded settlements, narrowing the eligibility for would-be immigrants claiming Jewish heritage, and restricting non-Orthodox access to a sacred site.

They see a planned judicial overhaul as threatening the checks and balances on Israel’s government — echoing concerns voiced by tens of thousands of Israeli street protesters in recent weeks.