Efforts by opponents to stop the passage of a religious conversion bill in the Israeli Knesset escalated on Tuesday, July 13, 2010 after the bill was submitted to a Knesset sub-committee for consideration. If passed, critics fear it could have effect on non-Orthodox immigrants who wish to enter Israel under the Law of Return.
The bill, which was introduced by Knesset member David Rotem, was submitted to the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee for consideration on Monday, July 12, 2010. It was accepted by the committee and must now receive three readings in the Knesset plenum for it to become law.
Opposition to Jewish Conversion Bill in Israel
Reform and Conservative Judaism rabbis have expressed deep reservations about the bill, which they feel will increase the Orthodox and Haredi movements’ hold over the conversion process of immigrants and residents in Israel and solidify power in the hands of the pro-Orthodox rabbinate. Progressive movements fear that this will also impact the access to citizenship by individuals who undergo non-Orthodox conversions outside of Israel and wish to declare aliyah (immigrate to Israel). Some critics have suggested it could also create schisms between Jews within Israel and abroad.
News of the bill's impending submission prompted the Union of Reform Judaism and 14 other organizations to write a letter of concern to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. URJ President Rabbi Eric Yoffie, Vice President Rabbi Julie Schonfeld and others expressed their “dismay” at the advancement of the bill.
“(We) are deeply disappointed to hear that the bill will now be presented in a new and even more problematic format,” the writers said. The rabbis noted that they had been involved in discussions with Knesset members for some months, and were under the impression that Reform and Conservative groups would be consulted for input before the bill received further consideration.
Rotem stated on Monday, July 12 that this was still the plan. “Prior to the second and third reading, I intend to sit with both the Reform and Conservative (members) in order to incorporate them into the framework of the law," he told Haaretz.
Conversion to Judaism in Israel by Immigrants
As a fierce defender of the bill, Rotem has insisted that the legislation would provide fairer access to conversion for immigrants and foreign workers who live in Israel and want to convert to Judaism. By creating one body to oversee conversion procedures, Rotem said, there would effectively be only one conversion “district” and would standardize procedures and access to religious conversion.
“That means that everyone will have more than one route for conversion. That is an achievement that will definitely go down in history,” said Rotem in an interview earlier this year.
But on Tuesday Rotem appeared to distance himself from his assurances to Diaspora Jews.
“I never promised anything,” Rotem told the Jewish news service JTA in a interview, noting that he had been clear all along that if there were majority support, he would call for a vote.
"I don’t know why they wanted to have discussions. I came to the U.S. I spoke to leaders, and I explained this is nothing that touched the American community. It has nothing to with Jews in the Diaspora. It is only an Israeli matter.”
Passage of the first reading received a 5-4 vote, with Shas and United Torah Judaism, two pro-Orthodox political parties as well as Yisrael Beiteinu voting for the bill, and Kadima and Hadash, more moderate centrists, voting against. The Likud party, Israel’s prominent centrist party, did not turn up for the vote.
Tisha b'Av and the Conversion Bill
Jewish Agency for Israel Chairman and human rights advocate Natan Sharansky expressed concern about the impact that the bill may have on relations with Diaspora Jews.
“We cannot divide the Jewish people with legislation which many in the Jewish world view as defining them as second class Jews,” Sharansky told the Jerusalem Post. He stated that the controversy is emerging at an inauspicious time of the Jewish calendar, a time when Jews supposed to be concentrating on the significant events surrounding Tisha b’Av, which Jewish historians maintain included the destruction of Judaism’s second temple.
“We are at the beginning of the month of Av, the time when the Temple was destroyed because the Jewish people were busy with fraternal fighting …” said Sharansky, who pointed out that Israel could not afford to lose the support of Jews abroad. He called on Netanyahu to insist that the legislation not advance without discussion with world Jewry, and for Likud to oppose it.
The Unity of World Jewry
Israeli President Shimon Peres has also stated that more dialog is needed on the bill, and that the concerns of Diaspora Jews — who amount to 50 percent of world Jewry — need to be taken into consideration.
Although Prime Minister Netanyahu has not publicly voiced opposition to the bill, he has reportedly written the Conservative and Reform Judaism movements to assure them that any legislation addressing conversion to Judaism would ensure “the unity of world Jewry.”
Readers may also enjoy learning about Belief and Controversy in Judaism and What Does it Mean to be a Chosen People?
Sources:
RabbiCreditor.Blogspot.com. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
JewishFederations.org. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
JTA.org. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
Haaretz.com. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
JPost.com. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
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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