Minister of Religious Affairs (Bayit Yehudi) Naftali Bennett stated on Tuesday, 16 Menachem Av 5773 that this week’s election to select new chief rabbis will most likely be the last in which two rabbonim are elected, Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) reported.
Bennett, who is backed by Justice Minister (The Movement) Tzipi Livni, favors eliminating the double post. He feels there is no longer a need for an Ashkenazi and Sephardi chief rabbi – confident one chief rabbi can serve all the citizens of Israel.
While Bennett and those supporting his initiative would have preferred making the change ahead of this election, which will be held on Wednesday, 17 Menachem Av 5773, they were unable to do so due to logistical realities. The timing of the election of the 19th Knesset, the time needed for coalition talks, announcing and swearing-in the cabinet did not permit then addressing the Chief Rabbinate race for it was too close to Election Day. Hence, the election held this week will be for two chief rabbis as has been the case in previous years.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Bennett will b long history in 10 years time
…And the election after that one—Zero candidates!
iyH the next chief rabbi will be Moshe Rabbeinu
Does Bennett have the power to do that? The small amount of involvement that the Charedim have is going to be decreased and Bennett was the man that did want the Charedim to be more invovled. Mr.Bennett I respect you greatly but your statements are contradicting each other Rabbi Lau is OSA righteous and brilliant man and his father a war survivor has tremendous dignity especially comparable to Rabbi Yosef a son of one of the Gedolei Hador please respect that and now we all need to listen to the Gedolei Hador like Rav Chaim Kanievsky, Rav Aaron Leib Shteinmann, Rav Nissin Karelitz, and Chacham Ovdeya
Yosef they are Daas Torah there words are what Hashem is telling us and we must not question there actions and list to the Rabbanan