Reform, Conservative Jews Delay Lawsuits

Trying to avoid a rift between Israel and American Jews, Reform and Conservative Jewish leaders agreed to suspend for three months legal action seeking the formal recognition of their movements in Israel. The turnaround gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a reprieve from what appeared to be an inevitable collision with American Jews, who provide crucial political support for Israel in Washington. Netanyahu has been under pressure from three Orthodox parties in his coalition to fend off efforts by the Reform and Conservative movements to win recognition in Israel with lawsuits over the right to carry out conversions and be represented on religious councils. The timeout was agreed to in a meeting hosted by Israeli President Ezer Weizman and attended by Rabbi Yitzhak Rosen, who heads the conversion department in the chief rabbinate.