MK Yisrael Eichler is pushing a bill that would compel the government and the Israel Bar Association to not only select women for the committee that appoints dayanim but men as well. Eichler explains the current law is laconic and needs to be expanded to include the appointment of men to the committee to avoid having only women serving on the committee.

He explains in the past, in an effort to end discrimination against women, it was decided that the committee must have a minimum of one female representative from each of the bodies represented on the committee; the Knesset, Israel Bar Association, and the cabinet. That mean there must be a minimum of four women serving on the committee. Eichler wishes to lock this number, a maximum of four women serving on the committee instead of the current minimum number of four women.

Eichler feels this may lead to gender discrimination for at present, all the appointees may be women and this was not the intention of the legislation.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)