The Israeli government agreed Thursday, July 22, 2010, to delay a controversial conversion bill in the Knesset in return for assurances by Jewish organizations that oppose the bill that they will not petition Israel's high court.
News of the government’s decision to temporarily block the bill was released late Thursday night, after meetings between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and the Reform and Conservative movements in Israel.
Conversion Bill Delayed in Israel
According to Haaretz Newspaper, the bill will be delayed for six months. During that time, the procedures for conversions will not change. Movement for Progressive Judaism and the Masorti Movement have reportedly agreed to the stipulations.
Non-Orthodox Jewish organizations will also have the ability to submit comments and recommendations in response to the bill, which proposes the implementation of new Orthodox conversion courts throughout the country. A committee will be appointed under the direction of Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky to review input on the bill.
Unity of the Jewish People
Netanyahu had directed his staff to “find any means of preserving the unity of the Jewish people,” and stressed that he supports consensus among world Jewry, Haaretz reported.
"The change in conversion laws in Israel must be done by wide consensus because of the need to avoid a rift in the Jewish people. Unity is a prime national interest in Israel and among the Jewish people, and I am determined to guard this principle,” the prime minister said.
The conversion bill has caused widespread disagreement both in Israel and abroad. Non-Orthodox groups in the United States and Canada expressed outrage at the bill, which was referred to as “discriminatory” and was criticized by the Union for Reform Judaism, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Jewish Agency and Jewish Federation as well as other Israeli and North American advocacy groups.
Jewish Conversions in Israel
Supporters of the bill however, feel that it would standardize conversion procedures in the country and help ensure that some 300,000 non-Jewish residents could obtain conversions. MK David Rotem, who sponsored the bill, said that it would allow for the establishment of city conversion judges whose offices would be overseen by the chief rabbinate. The standardization of Orthodox conversion procedures would make it harder for ultra-Orthodox religious groups to interfere with conversion procedures or to overturn a conversion because they feel it was not stringent enough, which has been a recent problem in Israel.
However, Rotem admitted in an earlier Haaretz interview that the bill in its present state does not provide a perfect fix; even though the chief rabbinate is supported by range of Orthodox views (including the more liberal, Modern Orthodox), Haredi groups have supported the legislation with the hope that they will still be able to convince the conversion judges to adhere to the stricter interpretation of Jewish halacha, which the Haredi favor.
Diaspora Jews and Israel
On Monday, the Rabbinical Council of America, which represents the Orthodox rabbinate in the United States, spoke out in support of the bill, and criticized Diaspora Jewish groups that attempted to prevent the bill from proceeding through the Knesset.
“(The) duly elected leadership of the State of Israel should not be subject to outside interference or pressure by other governments, religious bodies, or communal entities,” RCA said, while condemning the efforts of groups in the Diaspora who have petitioned the assistance of members of the U.S. Congress to help stop the bill. Last week, Oregon Democrat Senator Ron Wyden called on other U.S. lawmakers to sign a petition condemning it.
Members of the coalition that have supported the bill have been informed of the agreement, including Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar who acknowledged in a radio address earlier in the week that some members had threatened to pull out if the prime minister did not endorse the bill’s passage.
Deputy Minister Eli Yishai, who also supported the bill, has announced that the Shas Movement will not support a delay of the bill and will still attempt to bring it to the floor this fall.
Readers may also be interested in reading: 21st Century Traditions: The Many Ethnic Cultures of Diaspora Judaism, and Judaism and the Act of Performing Kiddush.
Sources:
Haaretz.com
Vosizneias.com
Rabbis.org
Masorti.org
URJ.org
JewFAQ.org
Jan Lee - Jan Lee has been writing for online and print publications for more than 20 years and have been published in five countries.
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