One of the significant accomplishments of the previous administration was the passing of the giyur reform, liberalizing conversions in Israel. The passing of the bill elicited shouts of opposition from the Chief Rabbis, but the Bayit Yehudi and Yesh Atid coalition remained determined as they support mass conversion of many seeking to be “Jewish”.
The cabinet on Sunday 18 Tammuz, in its weekly meeting, voted to do away with the reform. In addition, control over the nation’s batei din was transferred from the Justice Minister, which is controlled by Bayit Yehudi, to the Ministry of Religious Services, which is controlled by Shas. This was addressed in the coalition agreement with Shas. Efforts to block the transfer of authority in the High Court were unsuccessful.
Former MK Elazar Stern released a statement to the press that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu sold out the nation’s definition of who is a Jew to Shas. Speaking with Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) Stern sharply criticized the cabinet, adding when he was in the 19th Knesset then Minister of Religious Services Naftali Bennett told him he would never participate in undoing the reforms. Shortly following the interview Bennett tweeted a message that he was going to vote against canceling the reforms in the cabinet vote, in line with his support for the reforms. Bennet was true to his word, voting against dissolving the giyur reforms. He and party colleague Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked were both given the green light to oppose the bill by the prime minister, who realized he had a majority without them.
Opponents of dissolving the accomplishments of the previous administration and transferring authority of the batei din to Shas accuse the prime minister of selling out to chareidi coalition partners.
Minister of Agriculture (Bayit Yehudi) Uri Ariel did not attend the meeting and therefore he did not vote on dissolving the giyur reform. In the previous Knesset he defied his party by speaking out against the bill. The minister’s spokesman told the press he did not attend the cabinet meeting “for personal reasons”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
The holy shekel has the final say.
If Bennet and the other members of the coalition who are against this bill would leave the coalition and allow the coalition to fall, as these items are supposedly very basic to their political platforms, the bills would be defeated.
Doing this would cause them to lose the extra money that they get as members of the cabinet and extra positions within the knesset so they may yell, but they don’t stand on principle; they stand on the shekel!
What’s with the Purim photo on Shiva Asar Be’Tammuz?
Do Ayelet Shaked and Naftali Bennett really speak for the dati leumi tzibur?
The article states that Uri Ariel did not support the reform, additionally MK Bezalel Smotrich stated his opposition.
Also, they lost significant votes in the last election to Yachad which also represents the dati leumi (more hardalnik) tzibur.
Many continued with Jewish Home(including some important rabbis) because they did not want to see a loss of influence by fracturing the party.
In this issue, I’m sure that many have a sigh of relief that this issue was set aside.
Claiming “politics” is a nasty way to refer to what is a truly religious issue. Shame on them for the propaganda.