This whole ongoing discussion about the Reform in Israel, with the Kotel, the mikvas and all that, reminds me of a story.
The story goes that the Brisker Rav and Rav Amram Bloi once had a discussion about protesting against the State of Israel for something they were doing. Rav Bloi was critical of the Brisker Rav for not participating in his protests. The Brisker Rav supposedly responded that the Neturei Karta is really a Zionist organization. He explained that in Russia they would never have protested against the government because they knew they would have been killed by the brutal police. In Israel, however, they do protest because they know the Zionists will not kill them. That itself, the Brisker Rav said, is acceptance of the Zionists.
The fact that deals were made and protests leveled and insults thrown, that the Orthodox (I heard such an acceptance in the name of Rav Elyashiv as well) were willing to give the Reform a section further way as long as it isn't in the main section, shows that the Haredi leaders have now granted some sort of acceptance and recognition of the Reform. R' Mottka Bloi was even on the radio debating and arguing with a Reform Rabba (female Rabbi).
30 or 50 years ago this would not have happened. They would not have been willing to talk at all about such an option. There would have been no deals. Anything that happened would have been against the wishes and without any compliance or agreement of the Haredi leadership.
I think the Reform can point to this as probably their greatest success in all this.
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