A delegation of 14 rabbis representing different Jewish denominations in the United States met with senior members of the Israeli government Thursday.
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The delegation of the Zionist Rabbinic Coalition represented hundreds of leaders of Reform, Conservative and Orthodox communities, who support the continued relationship with Israel and Zionism.
The organization is headed by Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt, who was also invited with his colleagues to visit the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain prior to arriving in Israel to learn more about the impact of the Abraham Accords.
"We received a very warm welcome and saw first-hand the fruits of the Abraham Accords, about which we will tell our colleagues and communities when we return home," he said.
In Israel, the delegation met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli, and Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu.
Weinblatt told Israel Hayom that they decided to meet with Eliyahu, a Religious Zionist Party MK, despite some opposition back home.
"We know that there are those who call for a boycott of Israeli lawmakers and support a reassessment of relations, but we feel that now more than ever is the time to talk and meet. This is the time for dialogue. We do not want to add division and differences of opinion, but to heal them, and the way to do this is through open dialogue and honesty, and express our concerns and understand Israel better," he said.
A statement by Eliyahu's office confirmed the meeting with the ZRC delegation but refrained from mentioning that it included reform rabbis, including female ones.
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