MK (Shas) Moshe Vaknin spoke with Kol Chai Radio on Monday morning 26 Tammuz, addressing the dire situation in the nation’s batei din. Vaknin, a veteran MK, explained at present, there is a need for 80 dayanim. He explained that 40 are required immediately and the remainder in the coming months as more dayanim retire.

He explained that while the nation’s courts have advanced due to many appointments and the refurbishing of courthouses, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel’s batei din are falling apart and suffer from a constant critical shortage of dayanim. He lamented the batei din are in disrepair and in some cases, simply unusable.

He explained in the previous administration, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni was responsible for appointing dayanim and almost nothing was done. He added that while many rabbinical courts were supposed to be refurbished, once again nothing has been done and the situation today is critical.

Vaknin used the interview to call on those responsible for appointing dayanim in the current administration to do so, immediately, as the number of backlogged cases in the batei din continues to increase by the day.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)