Prime Minister Sharon greeted Rabbi Yoffie and other leaders of a solidarity mission to Israel in the summer of 2001.

Reform Jews of North America join with Jews throughout the world in praying for the swift and complete recovery of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon from his current illness.

Mr. Sharon occupies a unique place in the hearts of the Jewish people and in the history of the Jewish state. Throughout his life, he has been a strong and determined leader of Israel and a valiant fighter for Jewish interests everywhere. As a soldier on the battlefield, he demonstrated remarkable courage in each of Israel’s wars; later, as a politician, he demonstrated equal courage in the political arena, overcoming voices of extremism with a message of reason and moderation.....more 

A Reform Perspective on the Current Situation
By Rabbi Gilad Kariv, Director of Public Policy for the Israel Religious Action Center & Rabbi Andrew Davids, Executive Director of ARZA

The news of the sudden hospitalization of Prime Minister Sharon and of the serious deterioration of his health shocked the citizens of Israel and the Jewish world. Many of us remain glued to the media, following the televised reports and the many commentaries on the situation.  It’s true that only two weeks ago the Prime Minister had a minor stroke, but his determination to continue functioning and his well-oiled public-relations team created the impression that the Prime Minister would overcome his health difficulties.

For we Reform Jews, the sense that the Prime Minister’s stroke was minor allowed us to breath a sigh of relief. For so many of us, his continued and steady hand on the helm was critical to the ongoing support of the values that we hold central to our understanding of Judaism. Under his leadership, we have seen him masterfully, and almost single-handedly move the Israeli consensus to a point where the value of peace and compromise superseded the value of land...more