Following a meeting between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Bayit Yehudi leader Minister Naftali Bennett, the prime minister is willing to back the dati leumi party’s candidate for chief ashkenazi rabbi, Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, Yisrael Hayom reports. The party is moving to push what is being dubbed the Rabbi Ariel bill, a bill that will remove the age ceiling of 70 for a candidate running for the post of chief rabbi of Israel to clear the path for Rabbi Ariel.

When asked to comment on the report, aides to Bennett confirm the party will work towards the election of a dati leumi rav but it has not yet decided who that candidate will be.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)