Recorded at 2023 AJC Global Forum in Tel Aviv.

The Great Debate moderated by Dr. Laura Shaw Frank, AJC’s Director of Contemporary Jewish Life, features Yehuda Kurtzer, President, Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, and Ariel Kahana, Senior Diplomatic Correspondent, Israel Hayom. Since the establishment of Israel in 1948, the connection between Israel and Diaspora Jewry has played a vital role in shaping the Jewish people’s identity and future.

As the bond between Israel and the Jewish Diaspora persists, it raises thought-provoking questions about the Jewish state and Jewish identity. Is Israel the homeland for all Jews? What does it actually mean to be a homeland for the Jewish people? Should Israel consider the views of Diaspora Jews when making policy decisions? In the midst of internal discord within Israel and the various responses from Diaspora Jewry, these critical questions gain renewed significance.