It was a stormy session of the Knesset Interior Committee on Wednesday 22 Elul as the Giyur Bill sponsored by MK Elazar Stern led to passionate responses from MKs. There was an exchange of accusations between Likud and Bayit Yehudi MKs, each blaming the other for the fact the bill has become so controversial.

Committee Chairwoman MK Miri Regev explained she feels the bill she be halted until something is worked out. She questioned the wisdom of passing a bill on a religious matter than does not receive the approval of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. She pointed the finger of blame at Deputy Minister of Religious Services Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan. She questions how the ministry that represents religious services in Israel can turn its back on the nation’s Chief Rabbinate. “Does Bennett need [Justice Minister Tzipi] Livni’s backing? Perhaps he is not strong enough to just admit he does not believe in the Rabbinate” stated Regev.

Regev told Ben-Dahan the legal advisor of the nation’s giyur program is present and he states the bill was not coordinated with him, citing a failure between the Religious Services and Justice Ministries. “Can it be the chief rabbis did not want to address the bill that would remove their authority over Giyur? The Rishon L’Tzion is pained to the core of his existence over the bill” she concluded.

Rabbi Ben-Dahan then stated the chief rabbis agreed to a “poor version” of the bill. The accusations of failure continued to fly, opening the door for MK Rav Yisrael Eichler to take a poke at the Bayit Yehudi party. Colleague Rav Yaakov Asher joined in, citing the discussion was political, not halachic. He added “Just like there is a police force and an IDF, and we will not permit replacements, the same holds true here. Bayit Yehudi was traumatized by the elections for Chief Rabbinate and that is the party’s motivating factor”.

Regev then questioned why the government is advancing a private bill since doing so is not acceptable parliamentary procedure. “We have compromised giyur and the Chief Rabbinate and have led to a situation that people will not be permitted to get married since the bill lacks clarity and dances between the rain drops… I call on Minister of Religious Services Naftali Bennett to become personally involved and reach agreement with the chief rabbis towards advancing a bill that is acceptable to all concerned.”

Regev calls on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu not to present the bill to the cabinet in order to prevent it from moving forward under the current reality. She is calling for a sensible bill that serves the need for religious services without compromising the status of the Chief Rabbinate and the religious status quo”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)