The Supreme Court on Monday, 9 Tammuz 5773 ruled that elections to select the new Chief Rabbis of Israel must be held as soon as possible and the election must be held no later than 17 Menachem Av 5773. The date was selected to prevent a situation in which the current chief rabbis are no longer serving while new rabbis have not been elected.

The court was responding to a petition seeking to push off the election to permit moving ahead the Stern Bill and increasing the representation of women on the voting body.

Justice Noam Solberg explained the selection of the voting body and the appointment of the election committee were delayed while the tenure of the chief rabbis was extended, all to accommodate general elections for Knesset. The court however insists that elections are held prior to the completion of the tenure of the current chief rabbis, July 24, 2013.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)