I know you have serious disagreements with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. I know it is important that you articulate your concerns to the incoming administration. That is your job — and your responsibility — as an American Jewish leader.

But, as the late Yitzhak Rabin said when he condemned the growing incitement within Israeli society, לא זו הדרך — this is not the way.

I am deeply worried by the divisive and overheated reactions I’ve seen — from you and from others who speak in our community’s name. They do not reflect our real interests or values. They isolate us at a moment when what we most need is a measured, level-headed approach — one that allows for real give-and-take, the kind of negotiation and constructive interaction between communal leadership and government that, as you well know, is critical for Jewish safety and Jewish concerns.

You have chosen a different approach — one grounded in confrontation — and I understand why. You’re deeply concerned about the new mayor’s positions on Israel, and you may also question how much sway some of those who helped him win — people you rightly see as hostile to core elements of your beliefs — will have on his decisions.

But this approach won’t change his positions or reduce the influence of those........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)