The Shas party addressed the removal of the Rabbinate Law from the Constitution Committee's agenda for the first time this afternoon (Wednesday) - and attacked Otzma Yehudit and MKs from the Likud.
Following the coalition's announcement last night that the law was removed from the agenda, Deri appointed a team of ministers, including Ministers Yaakov Margi, Michael Malchieli, Haim Biton, and Moshe Arbel, who will examine how to continue to promote the law, "with broad agreements with all parties.".
The Shas party statement reads: "In a consultation held this morning by the faction, headed by the movement's chairman, Rabbi Aryeh Deri, the faction expressed deep regret over the behavior of Otzma Yehudit and several Likud members against the law.".
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In an attempt to justify the law, Shas said that most residents of the State of Israel have been living in communities without a serving rabbi for decades, which, according to Shas, "results in a serious harm to all religious services, to the point of endangering the entire field of kashrut in the State of Israel and the Jewish identity of the state. We must understand: Just as there are no medical services without doctors, so there are no religious services without rabbis. There is no kashrut without rabbis and there is no marriage without rabbis.".
Shas further explained: "The proposed law is supposed to remove barriers and appoint decent rabbis in these cities and towns. This is not about jobs or interfering with the identity of the elected rabbi, but rather promoting legal selection procedures for minimal religious services, which the State Comptroller warned about.".
""Shas brought up the law after clear agreement from Justice Minister Levin and coalition chairman MK Ofir Katz, with full support from all coalition factions for the law. To our great regret, there are MKs in the coalition who are taking matters into their own hands, harming Israeli tradition and undermining the foundations of the coalition.".
Shas added and reminded that the late Rabbi Yosef "dedicated his life to appointing worthy rabbis in every city, with the understanding that they are the ones who take care of kosher and spirituality in the place. Shas will continue to fight on this important issue, and Shas Chairman Rabbi Deri has appointed a ministerial team, including ministers Yaakov Margi, Michael Malchieli, Haim Biton and Moshe Arbel, who will examine how to continue to advance the important law while reaching broad agreements with all parties.".
MK Matan Kahane responded to the Shas party: "Stop whining and confusing your mind. If the Jewish identity of the state is important to you, simply appoint city rabbis. Under the current regulations, it is very easy to appoint a city rabbi.".
""It's not certain that he will be 'one of their own,' but there is a high chance that the mayors will choose rabbis who are great Torah scholars, who were authorized by the Chief Rabbinate, and who also served significantly in the IDF and even served in the reserves during the war.".
""The law you are trying to pass is a law whose entire essence is a shameless attempt to deprive cities of the ability to choose a rabbi who is suitable for the city and to regain control over the appointment of rabbis.".
After Shas launched an attack on Likud this morning, a senior coalition official attacked party chairman Aryeh Deri back - telling Here News: "Deri is threatening to bring down a right-wing government on the basis of a law that interests no one except a few of his appointees, and at a time of enormous American pressure to end the war? Let him go ahead with it.".
