The Moetzas Gedolei Hatorah of Agudas Yisrael will be convening on Monday afternoon 18 Adar-II to continue discussing the current advances made by Reform Jewry in Israel. In the previous meeting, the MKs affiliated with the party were instructed to initiate legislation to protect the religious status quo, stating there cannot be the slightest compromise pertaining to the agenda of the Reform.

It is pointed out that prior to the meeting the bill initiated by MK Moshe Gafne prohibiting all tevila by converts in state-run mikvaos passed its preliminary reading however the bill will encounter difficulties in passing into laws as a number of MKs from Kulanu and Bayit Yehudi are unwilling to accept the bill in its present wording. They fear the bill as it stands will undo the ‘advances’ made regarding women toiveling by the last administration when Bayit Yehudi ran the Ministry of Religious Services. The MKs, including Shuli Muallem and Rachel Azariya are insisting Gafne has to amend the wording in order to gain their party’s support to vote the bill into law. They wish to make certain a woman who has to toivel and does not want a balanit present has the right to do so. They also are safeguarding the change that a balanit cannot ask a woman toiveling if she is married or not.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)