The wave of religious legislation is sparking various initiatives in the Zionist-religious Torah world, which seek to both monitor and protest against the laws being implemented by the government with the participation of members of the Jewish Home.
In an article published today in the newspaper ''At seven'', The newspaper's reporters Yishai Friedman and Hagit Rosenbaum bring voices from a conference held last Shabbat evening in Petah Tikva, initiated by the 'Jewish Heart' organization, at which speeches were given by Rabbi Zvi Kostiner, Rosh Yeshiva in Mitzpe Ramon, and Rabbi Micha Halevi, Chief Rabbi of Petah Tikva, who harshly attacked the new conversion law in particular, and the wave of legislation on issues of religion and state in general.
The rabbis did not hide their sharp criticism of members of the Jewish Home Party and rabbis who support their activities.
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Rabbi Micha Halevi focused his remarks on the role and status of the Chief Rabbinate, and regarding the laws on the agenda. Rabbi Halevi noted the basic premise that has been accepted in Israeli governments to date, even those that did not fully understand the meaning of a Jewish state. "Nevertheless, they understood that certain things should not be included in laws, because it diminishes them. Today, for example, they are proud that the status of yeshiva students has been included in the law, that the law recognizes yeshiva students," he said, referring to the new conscription law. "Is this pride? The pride belonged to the founders of the state, who understood that the status of yeshiva students is too big a thing to include in the law.".
The same principle also applies to conversion: "The one and only authority to recognize conversion is the Rabbinate. It is blasphemy to put this into law! Can the Jewish soul be included within the framework of a law? Will you also put eating meat and milk into law? Shabbat? Conversion? These are issues that do not belong in politics. Don't touch this! What is your name? Who gave you permission to touch the sacred foundations of the State of Israel?", the rabbi attacked the MKs' activities.
""It is forbidden at all to discuss the details of this law, even if certain details are amended. As far as I am concerned, there is no such law, it will not be established and there will be no such law," Rabbi Halevi firmly stated.
According to him, only the Chief Rabbinate has the authority to initiate matters of religion and state, but the situation has now been reversed: "The number one problem is that the Chief Rabbinate has been turned into advisors and recommenders. They are traffic cops instead of leaders. The MKs run ahead with the laws, and then ask the rabbis: Are you stopping us or not? Not 12 seats and not 120 seats – there is a Rabbinate, and only it can initiate this matter. The parties do not represent the Rabbinate on the issue.".
According to Rabbi Halevi, the statements of religious politicians regarding consultation and receiving approval from the chief rabbis for the draft laws are empty of content: "Terrible moves are being made against the rabbis, there is no other word. They are not allowed to think, they are being faced with no choice. They are being put in a corner and told: If you do not approve the law with the amendments, it will be worse, because then the Stern Law will pass. Is it any wonder that the rabbinate does not want to talk to them?
""The people are thirsty for the position of the rabbinate, which cannot be bought with money, politics, or popularity. The public is not thirsty for an accessible rabbinate," he hints, "but for an elevated rabbinate, one that stands by its opinion and speaks the truth. This system of laws has taken the leadership from the rabbinate, which is the one that decides on public laws. Therefore, even if, according to the details of the law, the specific conversion of the convert will be lawful, there are considerations of public laws here that only the rabbinate can decide. Because even if the conversion will be lawful, you are essentially encouraging Jews to recognize Gentiles. Who is doing this calculation? The MKs? Popularity? Only the rabbis and the rabbinate.".
Rabbi Halevi also addressed the sectional controversy surrounding the laws, in which he and other rabbis from the Mount Moriah yeshiva sect are referred to as "Haredi" and "anti-Zionists.".
He believes that those who are promoting the laws and thereby denying the authority of the state framework of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel are the Haredim and non-Zionists. "Anyone who does not accept the Chief Rabbinate in the State of Israel is anti-Zionist, Haredi. I heard terrible things from the yeshiva of the Jewish Home faction. Senior officials stood there and asked: Who is the Chief Rabbinate? They should go to Rabbi Kook's grave and ask him for forgiveness. Where has this movement gone?" he wondered.
From the preamble to the law, even in the amended version, Rabbi Halevi points to a problematic trend of pushing the Rabbinate out of the field of conversion: The committee to locate the head of the conversion system will consist of one vote from the Chief Rabbi, and five additional votes from various bodies and organizations that have no connection to the Rabbinate.
""Clause after clause puts the Rabbinate in a small box all the way through. The most serious clause talks about recognizing national conversion as distinct from religious conversion. In fact, it says recognition of Reform conversion! And this is the wording after the amendments by our MKs. I asked them what it was, and the answer was: There was no choice, we had to swallow this clause. Who are you to swallow it? After all, in the coalition agreement you have the right to veto issues of religion and state. But they don't want to veto it.".
At the end of his remarks, Rabbi Halevi referred to the activities of the Zohar Rabbinical Organization around the laws: "I was one of the founders of the Zohar Organization. The idea was to be an arm of the Rabbinate for the general public. In the early years, I had the privilege of heading the organization's flagship project - marriage. As soon as they started talking about an alternative to the Rabbinate - I stood up and resigned. Everyone who comes today to register with the Zohar - actually came to register not with the Rabbinate.
""The intentions of the organization's rabbis are good, but the main thing is missing from the book. I shouted this for years when there was registration in the Badatz in Belz, She'erit Yisrael, Rabbi Landa. Now a new Haredi organization has arisen: Tzohar. Haredi because it dissolved the Rabbinate. We need to face this truth. Today in Petah Tikva, the data shows that for every one couple registered with the Rabbinate, eight are registered outside the Rabbinate. Who introduced anti-Rabbitry here? Who is allowed to do this? I agree that there is a lot to fix within the Rabbinate, we need to do a reexamination, but that's not why we should introduce awareness against the Rabbinate.".
The full article will be published in the newspaper 'Besheva''
