The vote to change the makeup of the body that will elect the next chief rabbis scheduled for Sunday 18 Iyar 5773 has been pushed off.

The bill presented by MK (The Movement) Elazar Stern was to have been approved by the ministerial committee and Sunday, but it appears pressure against it from Bayit Yehudi and Likud has resulted in a delay. Coalition Chair MK (Likud) Ze’ev Elkin explains the delay will permit the parties to study the bill and decide how they will vote.

Maariv quotes “political sources” explaining the delay surrounds chareidi opposition and Likud prefers to delay the bill instead of having the chareidim voting against it. In addition, the uncertainty surrounding a deal between Shas and Bayit Yehudi has the latter favoring a delay of two weeks for the time being. Two ministers from Bayit Yehudi are at odds over the bill. Uri Orbach favors the bill while Uri Ariel is adamantly opposed to it.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)