Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan on Monday 26 Tammuz met with Rishon L’tzion HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef Shlita. The two met to discuss giyur in the IDF. This is the first meeting between the two since Ben-Dahan assumed his post as deputy minister. It is noted that there were tensions between the two from Ben-Dahan’s tenure in the previous administration as Minister of Religious Services as Ben-Dahan backed religious reforms in direct opposition of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. The two have not met in the past year.

Ben-Dahan arrived at the meeting to discuss giyur in the military and Rav Yosef is has authority of giyur in the Chief Rabbinate as Av Beis Din of the Chief Rabbinate High Beis Din. When the meeting ended Rav Yosef presented Ben-Dahan with a copy of his sefer Ein Yitzchak.

Some feel that the meeting signals the beginning of mending of fences between the two.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)