O pinion
Stroul Continued from Page 14
but also its social-political form
most recently manifested in
Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated
parties in Egypt and Turkey.

This shared view of regional
threats opened opportunities
for cooperation in the security
and intelligence sectors, and also
relationship building.

Building on the founda-
tion of security collaboration,
Israel and Gulf governments
and private sectors were
already testing the waters
of expanded engagement.

Oil-dependent Arab govern-
ments, recognizing the urgent
need for economic diversifi-
cation, desire access to Israeli
know-how in technology, alter-
native energy, irrigation and
desert agriculture, health care
and science. The COVID-19
pandemic accelerated these
trends with specific interest in
medical sector collaboration.

Israeli-Arab cultural engage-
ments were also already
accelerating. In 2018 an Israeli
judo team, and in February 2020
an Israeli cycling team, competed
in the UAE. Israel was invited
to present a booth at the Dubai
World Expo 2020, now postponed
until 2021. Planning for an Israeli
team at the World Cup 2022
hosted in Qatar is underway,
including Israeli spectators.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu visited Oman in 2018,
and thousands of Moroccans and
Israeli tourists visit each other’s
countries every year.

The texts signed at the White
House are noteworthy for
their future-oriented vision of
partnership and mutual benefit.

Israel, the UAE and Bahrain
must now focus on the practical
steps required to scale up
relations — civil aviation agree-
ments, banking relationships,
navigating each other’s private
sectors, and preparing hotels
and tourism sites to receive new
groups of foreigner visitors.

Other governments in the
region are watching closely as
they consider bringing their
own relationships with Israel
out from under the table. How
tangible are the economic
benefits? Can the Emirati and
Bahraini models be replicated
to effectively prepare citizens
for interaction in this refreshed
strategic milieu?
To be sure, these important
normalization agreements do
not augur a new Middle East
or remove the most pressing
threats to Israel, especially
on its borders. The regime in
Iran continues its pursuit of a
nuclear weapon and its support
for a terrorist threat network.

Lebanese Hezbollah remains
entrenched with its missile
arsenal on Israel’s northern
border. Also in the north, a
civil war rages on in Syria
with dictator Bashar al-Assad
working hand in hand with
Iran and Hezbollah. An active
ISIS affiliate retains the ability
to launch lethal attacks in Sinai
on Israeli’s southern border.

To the east, the fragile yet
obstinate Palestinian Authority
continues to muddle through
in the West Bank. And to the
west, Hamas retains control of
the Gaza Strip, using the area
to launch explosive balloons
and rockets at Israeli popula-
tion centers as recently as the
same day as the White House
ceremony. Going forward, the U.S.-Israel
relationship will mostly remain
unchanged. Despite criti-
cism from certain members of
Congress directed at specific
Israeli government policies,
the ironclad commitment to
Israel’s security will hold fast.

The long-standing U.S. priority
to improve relations between
Israel and its Arab neighbors
will continue. This is a matter
not just of national security —
coordinating counter-Iran and
counterterrorism policies — but
also of interest in ensuring that
Israel is able to thrive as the
Jewish and democratic state.

Both the Trump administration
and the Biden campaign pledged
to continue the important work
of normalizing ties between
Israel and its neighbors in the
region. What remains elusive,
however, is a viable peace
process between Israel and
the Palestinians that leads
to two states. Indeed, bipar-
tisan resolutions lauding the
UAE and Bahrain normal-
ization agreements — in the
House of Representatives and
the Senate — highlighted the
long-standing U.S. priority to
resolve the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict so that both peoples are
ultimately able to live side by
side in peace and security. l
Clergy Continued from Page 15
For Jews, like other margin-
alized groups around the
world, the shocking examples
of hate activity and growth
of far-right hate groups —
in particular those spouting
anti-Semitism — add fuel to
this already devastating mix of
fires burning through Jewish
clergy energy at this moment.

For these and so many
other reasons, we, a cross-de-
nominational collaboration of
movement leaders and clergy
support organizations, invite
Jewish clergy to join our initia-
tive called #HeshbonHeshvan,
an opportunity to rest, renew
and rejuvenate during the first
week of Heshvan, from Sunday,
Oct. 18 through Thursday, Oct.

22 (and through Shabbat, a
true day of rest, if possible).

In Elul, Jews perform
a heshbon hanefesh, an
accounting of the soul, as
we prepare for the holidays
in Tishrei. Once the holidays
conclude, we begin the
month of Heshvan, a month
void of Jewish holidays.

Through #HeshbonHeshvan
we perform an accounting of
our self-care as we find new
ways to rejuvenate so that we
may continue to care for our
communities. As we encourage
#JewishClergySelfCare, we will
Dana Stroul is the Shelly and
offer free virtual opportuni-
ties for clergy to relax, renew
Michael Kassen senior fellow at the
and recharge as we Breathe,
Washington Institute for Near East
Create, Dance, Laugh, Learn,
Policy. Previously, she covered the
Sing and Support. This is open
Middle East on the Senate Foreign
to all Jewish clergy, all over the
Relations Committee and in the
world, working in all types of
Office of the Secretary of Defense.

This piece originally appeared in JTA. settings.

Likewise, we are inviting
our congregations, day schools,
Hillels, Jewish continuing care
facilities, yeshivot, organiza-
tions and every other places that
employ Jewish clergy to Take
the Pledge to avoid additional
programming, meetings and
demands on your clergy in
order to support this initia-
tive for #JewishClergySelfCare.

Communities that Take the
Pledge will be celebrated
publicly. Even if clergy do not want
to participate in any of our
online programming, we hope
you will give them some space
and an opportunity to recharge.

We support the concept that
#JewishClergySelfCare comes
in many forms. Our goal is to
encourage this exploration,
foster hevruta (partnership), and
engage commitment to self-care,
so it may truly be a happy and
healthy new year for all.

As has been said many
times, “You cannot pour from
an empty cup.” We believe
our Jewish clergy, who have
worked so hard and so long for
the sake of our communities,
deserve a moment to fill up and
enjoy a cos rivaya (full goblet)
once again. l
Rabbi Elyse Wechterman is
the executive director of the
Reconstructionist Rabbinical
Association. Rabbi Ilana Garber
is the director of global rabbinic
development for the Rabbinical
Assembly. #HeshbonHeshvan
#JewishClergySelfCare is a joint
project of the RRA, RA, CCAR,
CA, USCJ, RJ, Institute for Jewish
Spirituality (IJS) and more. This
piece originally appeared at
ejewishphilanthropy.com. Join the conversation!
Tell us what you’re thinking and interact with the community at jewishexponent.com
Connect with us on
16 OCTOBER 1, 2020
JEWISH EXPONENT
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



L ifestyles /C ulture
A Trio of Fish Dishes
KERI WHITE | JE FOOD COLUMNIST
1 egg
¼ teaspoon salt
Generous dusting fresh
cracked pepper
½ cup panko (Japanese-
style bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tilefish filets
ALTHOUGH MY summer
sojourn to the beach seems a
long time ago, I have held on
to some of the fish recipes I
enjoyed while there.

Sure, we get plenty of
top-quality seafood in the
Philadelphia area, but there is
Heat your oven to 300 F.

something about buying fish
Line a baking dish with
from a market adjacent to parchment. Place the filets
where the boats come in that on the parchment and drizzle
just makes it taste better.

them with olive oil
Mix the horseradish,
HORSERADISH-CRUSTED parsley, lemon juice and zest,
TILEFISH garlic, egg, salt and pepper
Serves 4
together in a small bowl.

Top each filet with an
Horseradish goes beautifully equal amount of horse-
with fish. It shines in this recipe radish mixture, then an
atop tilefish, which is local to equal amount of panko.

the Jersey coast, but any firm, Press lightly to make sure the
flaky white fish — such as cod, toppings adhere.

bass, haddock or halibut —
Roast the fish in the oven
until the bread crumb crust
would be a fine substitute.

is turning golden and the
¼ cup prepared horseradish fish is cooked through, 20-30
minutes, depending on the
½ cup chopped parsley
thickness of the filets. Serve
Juice plus zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped immediately.

FLOUNDER IN LEMON-
CAPER BUTTER
Serves 2
This is a wonderful warm-
weather recipe, because it
involves minimal cooking —
no scorching kitchen from this
dinner, with the fish done in
about 6 minutes. Unlike other
summer recipes that rely on
seasonal ingredients, however,
this is timeless and will taste just
as good in January. If flounder is
not available, use another thin,
mild fish such as sole or tilapia.

Serve this over rice or pasta,
or with crusty bread to enjoy
the delicious sauce.

2 flounder filets
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon white wine
1 tablespoon capers with
juice Mix the lemon zest, capers
with juice, wine and lemon
juice in a small measuring cup.

Set aside.

Season the filets with salt
and pepper and lightly dust
them with flour.

Heat a large skillet and melt
the butter and oil. Add the
filets, and cook 3 minutes.

Flip the fish carefully,
and add the lemon mixture
to the pan. Cook another 3
minutes until the fish is opaque
throughout and flakes easily.

Serve immediately topped
with sauce from the pan.

PAN-FRIED SNAPPER WITH
PINEAPPLE SALSA
Serves 4
Horseradish-crusted tilefish
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM Photo by Keri White
This is a really wonderful
dish. It showcases pineapple
in a unique way and is simple
to make, but it has an air of
sophistication and complexity
of flavors.

Make the salsa ahead of
time, so when it’s time for
JEWISH EXPONENT
dinner, all you have to do is
¼ cup flour
cook the fish.

Salt and pepper
If you don’t love pineapple,
2 tablespoons butter
or don’t have any on hand, you
2 tablespoons oil
can substitute mango, water-
Make the salsa: Mix all the
melon or peach. If snapper is
not readily available, try fluke, ingredients and let them sit
tilapia, mahi mahi, grouper or for at least 30 minutes (can be
done a day ahead).

striped bass.

Season the filets with salt
and pepper, and dust them
Pineapple salsa:
1½ cups chopped pineapple
lightly with flour.

Heat the butter and oil in a
½ cup chopped cilantro
skillet. Place the filets in the hot
⅓ cup chopped red onion
skillet; cook about 2-3 minutes
⅓ cup chopped red bell
per side depending on thick-
pepper ness, until just cooked through.

1 tablespoon brown sugar
The fish should flake easily and
Juice of 1 lime
be opaque throughout when
Optional: ½ teaspoon or
done. more finely minced hot
Remove the fish from
chili pepper
the skillet, drain any excess
oil on the paper towels, and
Snapper: serve immediately with the
4 snapper filets, skin
pineapple salsa. l
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17