Israel’s parliament the Knesset reportedly voted Monday night in favor
of a bill that destroys the haredi near-monopoly over marriage. It
easily passed by wide margins on both its second and third readings. The
bill’s only opposition reportedly came from haredi Members of Knesset.
Knesset Passes “Tzohar Law” Breaking Haredi Near-Monopoly Over Marriage
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Israel’s parliament the Knesset reportedly passed a bill Monday night that destroys the haredi near-monopoly over marriage. It easily passed by wide margins on both its second and third readings. The bill’s only opposition reportedly came from haredi Members of Knesset.
Dubbed the “Tzohar Law” after the organization of moderate Zionist Orthodox rabbis, the law allows couples to register for marriage anywhere they want to rather than being chained to the rabbinate of the city in which they live. This allows couples to seek out moderate Zionist Orthodox rabbis, who often preside over small towns, and escape the often dictatorial rule of haredi rabbis who control Israel’s largest cities, largely due to political nepotism and graft.
The new law was backed by the right wing Zionist Orthodox HaBayit HaYehudi Party, a successor of the National Religious Party (NRP; Mafdal), which disintegrated several years ago after about 60 years of holding political power.
Unlike the NRP, HaBayit HaYehudi has secular supporters, in large part because its election platform reportedly called for allowing civil marriage. Passage of the the Tzohar Law should increase that secular support.