Officials in the Chief Rabbinate on Friday morning adamantly denied widespread reports that the Chief Rabbinate Council decide to approve civil marriages for non-Jewish couple.

The members of the Chief Rabbinate Council convened on Thursday to discuss the civil marriage legislation, stressing this will not apply to mixed couples, referring to mixed marriages of Jews and goyim chas v’sholom.

For the first time since its establishment, the Chief Rabbinate discussed finding a solution for non-Jews wishing to marry in Israel. The body convened in Elon Moreh in Shomron to entertain finding an alternative to accommodate the large number of non-Jews in Israel. 

The rabbinical forum did not succeed in deciding on a method of implementing such a policy should it be accepted, and the rabbonim will convene again on Taanis Esther, Monday, at which time they will be joined by representatives of Shas and Yahadut HaTorah. Earlier in the week, shlichim of the Gerre Rebbe Shlita and Degel HaTorah met with Maran Rav Elyashiv Shlita to discuss the matter as well.

What concerns the rabbonim is the fact that permitting an alternative marriage for non-Jews may be used as a launching pad for petitions to the High Court of Justice, which chas v’sholom may take it a step further to include Jews who do not wish to marry in adherence to halacha. As such, the members of the rabbinical council wish to hear from the chareidi lawmakers, seeking a way to ensure permitting an alternative for goyim will not then boomerang back via the High Court. The rabbonim are well-aware the secularist community would view such a decision as a backdoor approach to circumventing the Rabbanut.

The rabbonim also feel that now is the time, during coalition talks, to include the matter in the coalition guidelines to eliminate fears of such legislation being introduced by coalition members in Knesset.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)