“I feel some moral responsibility, though feel that much of that is forced upon me by both Israel and the non-Jewish outside world asserting that Israel acts on behalf of all Jews, or that all Jews support Israel’s actions.”

The Interviewee – Ben (Born 1992), Financial Services Management Consultant. Born and still lives in London, UK.

In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state have to you personally and to Jewish people in general?

“It is a safe haven and a place around which there is solidarity.”

Do you feel committed in some way to defend the future existence of Israel?

“Committed to defend its existence, but not its policies.”

Do you affiliate yourself with a specific denomination in Judaism? What is your view regarding the dominance of the Orthodox denomination in Israel religious establishment?

“I am a member of the Reform movement. The dominance of the Orthodox in Israel makes people such as myself uncomfortable, particularly when prominent members of the establishment infer that we are not real Jews.”

Do you feel morally responsible for Israel’s actions (such as its management of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict)?

“I feel some moral responsibility, though feel that much of that is forced upon me by both Israel and the non-Jewish outside world asserting that Israel acts on behalf of all Jews, or that all Jews support Israel’s actions.

In your opinion, what is the main thing Israelis fail to understand about the reality of being Jewish outside of Israel?

“We live happy, comfortable and most importantly safe lives in the middle of culturally diverse communities.”

How would you describe Israel’s policy (formally and in practice) regarding its relationship with the Diaspora?

“Poorly coordinated, with too much emphasis on encouraging Aliyah.”

In your opinion, does Israel have an obligation to defend and help Jewish communities in need?

“Israel has an obligation to provide safe haven to Jewish communities in need if they wish to emigrate, and to facilitate support.”

Have you ever been to Israel? if you have, can you summarize your impression from the Israeli reality?

“Yes, many times. There is not one single reality – Tel Aviv is a diverse city, which feels far removed from Jerusalem and the settlements, which I have also visited a number of times. These feel like very segregated areas (other than the old city) with a bit of a siege mentality.”

Can you tell us a bit about the Jewish community in your hometown? Is it organized? Are there community activities?

“In Northwest London, it is large and spread across a range of progressive, reform and orthodox synagogues. It is very accepted.”