Traditionally, there were clear roles in the give-take relationship between Israel and American Jews.

American Jews gave and Israel took. But Bayit Yehudi chairman Naftali Bennett, who holds the Diaspora Affairs portfolio, is shaking things up.

This week he announced that the State of Israel would provide $1 million in aid to Houston’s Jewish community, which has suffered disproportionately in the wake of superstorm Harvey. […]

Sticking up for one another is not just about money though. Israel has an obligation to make the world’s only Jewish state a place that is welcoming for all Jews, regardless of their denomination or affiliation. The present government’s foot-dragging on the plan for an egalitarian prayer space at the Kotel must stop.

Open dialogue with Diaspora Jewry on the question of “Who is a Jew?” must also be maintained.

The government must realize that it has an obligation not only to the Jews of Israel but also to Diaspora Jews, whether it be donating to Houston’s flooded community or providing a welcoming environment at holy sites such as the Kotel for Jews visiting from around the world.