Some of the earliest Reform rabbis to settle in what would become Israel included Judah Leon Magnes, who was the first chancellor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and in 1938 became its president.

Meir Elk, who graduated from the liberal Breslau Rabbinical Seminary in Germany (in what is now Wrocław, Poland), founded the Leo Baeck School in Haifa.

This strengthened the relationship between the six existing congregations, and served as the cornerstone for the establishment of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ).

Researchers attribute this to several factors: The IMPJ participates in various initiatives for social justice, such as Rabbis for Human Rights, and it is affiliated with the World Union for Progressive Judaism.

In June and July 2015, the Reform movement in Israel came under attack by the new minister of religious affairs, David Azulai.

In a meeting with MK Ayelet Shaked about that group, Azulai referred to them as "provocateurs" and claimed that Reform Judaism is "a disaster for the nation of Israel".

[3] Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Levin's remarks and the Reform movement in the U.S. (the largest Jewish religious organization there) decided to shun him.

Jacobs told Israeli Army Radio: "There’s no reason to give him a platform in Jewish communities and organizations in the United States.

His remarks on the supposed waning presence of U.S. Reform Jews reveal a bias against a religious movement that includes over a million and a half people.

The IMPJ Mechina Project is a post-secondary, pre-military year of study and preparation toward compulsory IDF service.