MK Yair Lapid told Channel 20 that his party will do its utmost to advance the Giyur Bill that liberalizes conversions in Israel. Lapid stated that he initially told MK Elazar Stern that he wanted the new giyur in the form of a bill since that is more difficult to change than a cabinet decision. Lapid added that most of the Bayit Yehudi faction supports the bill so he believes it should not be too difficult to pass it in the next Knesset.

Lapid was then asked how he would react if the next coalition eliminates the chareidi draft. He stated that if this was the case there is no doubt his party would not be a part of such a coalition. He added “there is something that is both absurd and funny as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ya’alon promise the chareidim to eliminate the criminal sanctions component of the law but there is no such component”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)