Israel's opposition politicians yesterday accused the Prime Minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, of destroying not only peace hopes in the Middle East, but also the historic partnership between the Jews of Israel and the Jewish communities around the world.
Amid chaotic scenes at yesterday's opening of parliament's winter session, Knesset members from the main opposition Labour Party repeatedly interrupted Mr Netanyahu's opening address, brandishing placards that accused him of "splitting the Jewish people". And the Labour Party leader, Mr Ehud Barak, declared from the podium that "your own colleagues are ashamed of you . . . along with all the people of Israel." The Knesset assault on Mr Netanyahu focused on two areas: the stalled peace process with the Palestinians, and the dispute over the role of Reform and Conservative Judaism in Israel.
Relations with the Palestinians have steadily deteriorated since Mr Netanyahu won the May 1996 elections, and the Oslo process now seems doomed by the Prime Minister's stated refusal to hand over further West Bank land in the foreseeable future to the control of the Palestinian President, Mr Yasser Arafat.
In his Knesset address yesterday, Mr Netanyahu bitterly attacked the Oslo peace framework and the Labour government that approved it, blaming Labour for breaching the "principle" that "Jews take responsibility for their own security".
Relations with Diaspora Jews, meanwhile, are under extraordinary strain because of pressure from the Reform and Conservative movements for the right to perform conversions to Judaism and other Jewish rituals in Israel, and counter-pressure from the Orthodox Jewish leadership to outlaw any significant religious role for these more liberal streams of Judaism.
In recent months, a committee appointed by Mr Netanyahu, and headed by his Minister of Finance, Mr Ya'acov Ne'eman, an Orthodox Jew, has been trying to find a compromise. But although members of this committee, which includes Orthodox, Conservative and Reform members, have agreed various proposals, these have been adamantly rejected by the Orthodox establishment.
Mr Netanyahu, whose coalition depends on the support of 23 Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox Knesset members, is siding with the Orthodox establishment, and has given approval in principle for legislation that would formally outlaw Reform and Conservative conversions, and would ban Reform and Conservative delegates from local religious councils.
This week, some 20 Reform rabbis flew in from the US to protest against the planned legislation. Yesterday, they and other Reform and Conservative leaders rejected a plea from Mr Ne'eman to give his committee more time, and said they would resume efforts through the Israeli Supreme Court to have their conversions to Judaism declared valid.
The row has major implications for Israel-Disapora relations, given that more than three-quarters of American Jews are affiliated to the Reform and Conservative movements. Already, these Jews are reducing financial aid to Israel. A dramatic fall-off in funding for Israel is now in prospect.
Mr Aryeh Deri, leader of the one of the ultra-Orthodox Knesset parties, Shas, said yesterday that Israel could manage fine without such support, and that Reform Jews should keep their dollars at home. Mr Netanyahu's spokesman even accused the Reform and Conservative leaders of working "with the opposition, to bring down the government".
But a coalition Knesset member, Mr Alex Lubotsky, one of the chief advocates of compromise, pleaded with all sides to rethink their positions, and give the Ne'eman committee more time.
Israel freed more than 20 Palestinian prisoners yesterday, as part of a deal agreed with Jordan earlier this month following the botched Mossad assassination attempt on a Hamas leader in Amman.