“We need to understand that we are in a cultural war [with those] who
don’t want the rabbinical courts to have any standing. During the last
Knesset term we succeeded in preventing any anti-religious legislation
being passed, and not a day goes past on which they don’t try and pass
such laws. In the coming Knesset, the haredi representatives
will unite to fight for whether this is a Jewish state or not, in the
struggle is over the world of Torah, yeshiva students, the rabbinical
world and the status of rabbinical courts.”
Sefardic Chief Rabbi of Israel Shlomo Amar, left, and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger, right
Haredi Leaders Want Expansion Of Rabbinic Courts’ Powers
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
State rabbinical courts in Israel are only allowed to judge issues of marriage, divorce, conversion and certain other matters relating to personal status, but they cannot rule on monetary matters or property law.
But that will change if senior haredi leaders get their way.
According to a report in the Jerusalem Post, at the annual conference of the World Center of Torah Law held yesterday in Jerusalem, haredi leaders called for an expansion of rabbinical courts’ authority.
MK Moshe Gafni, who chairs the Knesset Finance Committee, gave the opening speech and was the first to raise the issue.
“We need to understand that we are in a cultural war [with those] who don’t want the rabbinical courts to have any standing. During the last Knesset term we succeeded in preventing any anti-religious legislation being passed, and not a day goes past on which they don’t try and pass such laws.
“In the coming Knesset, the haredi representatives will unite to fight for whether this is a Jewish state or not, in the struggle is over the world of Torah, yeshiva students, the rabbinical world and the status of rabbinical courts,” Gafni reportedly said.
Gafni also claimed that despite coalition agreements which supported expanding the powers of the state rabbinical courts, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had prevented haredi politicians from passing laws to bring that hoped for expansion of powers to fruition.
Sefardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar also spoke at the conference and called for increased authority for the state rabbinical courts.
“It’s unbelievable that the Jewish state prevents two people from voluntarily turning to the rabbinical courts for a case [of monetary or property law], while in every other place around the world they give authority to recognized arbitrators,” Amar reportedly said.
One of the main goals of the World Center of Torah Law is to pass civil laws based on Torah law – in other words, a form a ‘shariah law’ – something Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman agrees with.
“Torah has answers to all the social issues with which we are dealing with today. The solution to many of these problems is mutual responsibility,” he reportedly said.
Rabbi Ratzon Arusi, the principal organizer of the conference, is a member of the Chief Rabbinate’s Council.
“We must remember that there is no need to search for legal answers from the laws and justice [systems] around the world when we have God’s Torah and the laws of the Torah…The state must allow rabbinical judges in rabbinical courts to hear cases of monetary and property law...which would allow the huge community which wants the rabbinical courts to have this authority to be judged according to Torah law,” Arusi reportedly said.