Over Haredi Opposition, Proposed Bill Would Make All Army Conversions Legal And Permanent

The Ministerial Committee on Legislative Affairs on Sunday approved with a large majority a bill initiated  which states that all conversions carried out by army rabbis are legal and cannot be annulled.

Ministers: IDF conversions legal
Despite two Shas ministers' objection, ministerial committee approves bill stating that military conversions cannot be annulled. Minister Margi: Current government decision awakens yearning for Olmert days
Aviad Glickman • Ynet

The Ministerial Committee on Legislative Affairs on Sunday approved with a large majority a bill initiated by Knesset Member David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu), which states that all conversions carried out by the army are legal and cannot be annulled.

Shas Ministers Meshulam Nahari and Yakov Margi opposed the proposal.

The bill's approval, which means it will now head to the Knesset for a preliminary reading, was coordinated with the government. Minister Margi said that "the current government's decisions awaken yearning for the days of the Olmert government".
 
The ministerial committee postponed the vote two weeks ago. It held deliberations over the issue but the decision over the fate of the bill was postponed by two months due to opposition from the Shas party.

'Flagrant breach of status quo'

The party's representative on the committee, Minister Meshulam Nahari, said that the bill constitutes a flagrant breach of the religious status quo, contrary to coalition agreements. But an appeal presented against the postponement was accepted and the proposal was once again on the government table.

The bill was first brought up before the ministerial committee after haredi conversion officials called on the IDF to halt its conversion procedures due to a Chief Rabbinate decision to establish a committee to examine its procedures.

The decision to establish a committee came after doubts were raised over the halachic stance of the converts.

At a High court hearing two months ago, the State's representative said in an appeal demanding that city rabbis register converts for marriage that IDF conversions weren't arranged by certified religious judges (dayanim), and weren't approved in the Rabbinate.

 

Comments

[ssalbo]

I say take it a step further. Since Israeli society already has two tiers of citizenship, one for Jews and another for non Jews, I say that all citizens, regardless of religion should be born into the second tier (those unable to be elected to the highest elected offices of the state), and should only receive the privilege of full citizenship after serving in the armed forces for 4 years. I say service in the Israeli armed forces should be a pre-requisite for even serving as an appointed minister.
Since Israel is in a permanent state of war anyway, this would at least force these so called Haredim to shed a little blood for the state or stay out of elected politics.

[Alter Kocker]

About time that the Knesset moved to limit, if not negate the power of the Haredim over Israeli society. This should be followed by either allowing civil marriage or negating the need for orthodox conversion for marriage.

[Bassy ther Haredi Slayer]

Yes, Military service should be prerequisite for voting.

From Starship Troopers:

"...[voting] today limited to discharged veterans , instead of anyone ...who is 18 years old and has a body temperature near 37 °C"

That would solved the problem of Haredim and Arabs (who is worst I am not sure)

[IH]

A pretty damning comment about Kadima in here:

"[Shas] Minister Margi said that "the current government's decisions awaken yearning for the days of the Olmert government"."

Or in the Hebrew:

מרגי אמר כי החלטות הממשלה הנוכחית מעוררות געגועים לממשלת אולמרט