What is the cause of this detestable murderer’s joy? What brings satisfaction to the heart of the Moslem cleric? Has the Hamas destroyed another Jewish family? Have the Israelis withdrawn from another millimeter of Lebanon? Oh no. Something much less dramatic, but a far greater accomplishment. Something that justifies all of the bloody efforts of the Arabs against the Jews – the Sheik reads, “US Reform Movement Cancels All Israel Trips.”

The Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) of the Reform Movement has, in its cowardly and perfidious decision, handed the PLO, Hamas and Hizballah a victory that Israelis – of every religious stripe, throughout the country – work so hard to deny the Arab terrorists. Last week, Israeli Jews were out in great numbers at the Israeli Book Fairs throughout the country, they were at pubs, they were at the beach, they were at cafes and on the roads. Where are the Jews from the Diaspora?

Tourist travel to Israel is down and the economy is hurting. Foreign airlines are canceling layovers and certain flights to Israel. What will be the reply of our Minister of Tourism or of the organized Jewish leadership abroad when non-Jewish tour groups take their cue from our brethren of the Reform Movement?

One could be forgiven for misunderstanding what Jewish Unity is all about. For the UAHC, apparently, “Jewish Unity” is all well and good when it can be used as a slogan to silence opposition to importing radical reforms of tradition, but it is not exactly top priority when it means actually doing something out of a motivation beyond self-interest.

Was it merely a coincidence that the Reform Movement took its fateful decision in the week when traditional Jews read the Torah account of the Sin of the Spies? Those Biblical Spies, described as “Presidents” of Israel, reported to their people that the Land of Israel is indeed goodly and pleasant. (Yes, stated rabbi Yoffie, we have a “deeply felt and universally shared feeling in our movement that we have a responsibility at all times, but especially now, to be supportive of Israel in every conceivable way.”) But, said the Spies of the desert, it would be irresponsible of us to tell you that we can go there. Here there be giants. The Reform Movement has also created a false sense of the true situation here, thus repeating the sin of the Spies and spreading hysteria and wailing throughout the House of Israel. The UAHC stated that it would be irresponsible of the organization to allow parents to decide for themselves whether or not to send their kids on UAHC Israel trips. Is that clear to you, UAHC parents? Rabbi Yoffie knows what’s best.

Is the next step, at least, “to be supportive of Israel in every conceivable way?” The next public statement which rabbi Yoffie felt was important – even imperative - to make, was to call for funneling of US tax rebate dollars to charity. To whom does the rabbi suggest Reform Jews donate the rebate dollars? To the victims of Arab terrorism? To Jewish towns under attack every day in Gaza? To the Russian immigrant families torn apart by a suicide bomber? No, rather, to “those areas that will be particularly adversely affected by the new federal budget - programs for the needy, reproductive rights, the environment, and organizations working to maintain the separation of church and state.”

The Mishna (Sotah 8, also read last week according to the Daily Mishna regimen) describes an important aspect of the Israeli army going to war. One of the procedures is that the army Kohen and his officers announce to the assembled troops who is exempt from the front and may return home. The last category of Jews exempt from battle is the “faint of heart”. The commentaries on this expression state that one reason for “faintness of heart” is the fear of an overabundance of sins. To judge the UAHC leadership favorably – perhaps that was the fear that led them to make the decision that they did?