About five months ago, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced he was appointing former Likud minister Moshe Nissim to head the committee working to find an acceptable version of the Conversion Law, which was pulled from the Knesset agenda due to the controversy surrounding it.

According to a Kikar Shabbos News report, Nissim during the past two months has been meeting with various personalities involved; representatives of the Reform Movement and Tzohar Rabbonim, but he has not been able to meet with representatives of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

The report adds that Nissim turned to the office of Rishon L’Tzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita a number of times, but he has yet to receive a response. Five months have passed during which Nissim has been writing his opinion on the matter, but he still has not met with Rav Yosef.

It should be noted that inside Chief Rabbinate it is explained there are tensions between the Yosef family and former minister Nissim because of the latter’s refusal to back the law to extend the tenure of HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L as Rishon L’Tzion when he was serving.

“I believe that Moshe Nissim’s rich experience will help formulate recommendations on the issue of conversion, with broad agreement, to strengthen unity among the Jewish people while respecting Israel’s heritage,” Netanyahu said.

Officials in Rav Yosef’s office explain, “The office of the Rishon L’Tzion stands in touch with relevant officials to coordinate a meeting. The appointment of the former justice minister, Moshe Nissim, was coordinated with the rabbi.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)