After reading excerpts from the letter in Newsday on Tuesday, the board issued a statement saying that it had voted that day "to disassociate itself from recent statements about Israel by its president, Rabbi Esor [Ben-Sorek] . . . While each rabbi harbors his and her own personal feeling regarding the Law of Return, it is the consensus that the Long Island Board of Rabbis supports Israel unequivocally and calls upon congregants to continue their strong support emotionally, financially and with visitations to Israel."

Because the board of rabbis represents different bodies of Judaism, he said, its members have different opinions. "I think the majority would be opposed to changing {the Law of Return}," he said. "But I also feel the majority feels that Israel knows our sentiments - but it {Israel} has to do what it has to do in order to form a coalition government," he said, referring to pressure from Orthodox parties in Israel that gained strength in the last national election. "After we express our opinion, we should not threaten Israel, we should not barrage Israel with all these threats that are going on. We're living here. Israel doesn't tell us how to vote."