Chief Rabbinate prepares bill to remove converts from Law of Return

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Converts will no longer be recognized as Jews under the Law of Return, according to a bill formulated by the Chief Rabbinate and presented to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert a few days ago. The revolutionary bill is now awaiting a decision by the prime minister whether to make it a government-sponsored bill.

The bill was initiated by Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar in an effort to block the possibility that the High Court of Justice could recognize Reform conversions carried out in Israel. Amar expects the government to adopt the initiative after other solutions proposed by the state to the High Court, such as a recent suggestion to establish a second Ne'eman Committee to discuss conversions, seemed no more than stall attempts.

The Chief Rabbinate said Monday the proposal was an egalitarian one that would withstand the scrutiny of the High Court. It argued the bill would "close the loophole" in the Law of Return that allowed foreign workers to convert in order to receive Israeli citizenship.

However if the law passes, it is likely to lead to a major crisis between Israel and the Diaspora.

The bill would give rabbinic courts and the Chief Rabbinate sole authority over conversions, as another bill, which did not pass, had also stated. The main element in the bill is a change in the clause defining a Jew for the purposes of the Law of Return. At present the clause defines a Jew as a person born to a Jewish mother or who converted to Judaism. The bill proposes that an the only individuals recognized as Jewish by the Law of return will be those born to a Jewish mother."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/790448.html

[mike_c]

1. racial definitions are at the heart of apartheid....

eom

[IntiRaymi]

11. Have you heard of the contents of the Israeli ID card?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teudat_Zehut

The 'Teudat Zehut' contains an implicit statement of what your religious affiliation is. Of course, the assurances are that it is there for 'security purposes,' but that doesn't explain why it plainly states if someone is jewish or not:

Currently, the only way to determine whether an Identity card belongs to a Jew is to check whether the Hebrew date of birth appears in addition to the civil date."

This was not always the case - prior to 2005 a more detailed description of your nationality was placed on the card.
Bottom line: Israel can barely call itself a democracy. It doesn't fit the bill.

[Kber]

2. Kicking Ruth to the curb, eh?

Ruth was king David's grandmother. Maybe it will pass the courts, maybe it won't, but it's contrary to 4000+ years of Jewish law.

[Xeric]

3. Rabbi's..... Ayatollahs....

what's the difference?

[no_hypocrisy]

4. What I want to know is how long before another law is introduced that

bars Reformed Jews (the "real" kind, not "converts" according to their definitions) from the Law of Return for not being Jewish enough".

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

14. It was introduced several years ago and failed

This is just more proof that the religious right of any religion are equally brain-damaged. My cousin is a Reform Rabbi and I remember his email regarding the protest

DBDB

[Hardrada]

5. Say, if this is kind of a racial thing, why can't I go back to Norway?

All my ancestors are Norwegian. They are all Lutheran and that's the Norwegian state church. How 'bout it, guys! Fram Fram!!

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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[Violet_Crumble]

9. Kicking for the irony value only n/t

[Poll_Blind]

7. Woo hoo! Sweet!

:rofl:

  The sooner everyone, especially Diasporic Jews, see how little you care about Jews who do not fit your criteria, the sooner they stop giving you their money! Go for it Rabbi! Mamzer every non-Orthodox Jew! You know you want to! And then those dollars and pesos and marks will go flowing into the shuls everywhere else, but yours.

  I'll even help get the word out! How's that for bringing light to the world? That's my mitzvah for the day...

Now if only the hard line Muslim clerics do the same, we might have a chance at peace in our time. Maybe hold a big jamboree and beam it on satellite tv (tip to Randy) and just pronounce that "You're not Muslim enough. You're oooooooowwwwwwwt!"

PB

[IntiRaymi]

10. Israel - diaspora = no Zionist dream.

This will not pass.

[Scurrilous]

12. AJC: Chief Rabbi attempting to delegitimize US Jews

American Jewish Committee says in letter to Olmert it is ‘deeply concerned’ over draft bill aimed at rendering Reform conversions invalid for immigration to Israel and granting citizenship; ‘proposal will be a blow to Israel- Diaspora relations that could not come at a more damaging time,’ letter states

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3333768,00.html

<snip>

"The American Jewish Committee says in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that the organization is ‘deep concern over recent reports of the proposal put forward by Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar to remove converts from the jurisdiction of the Law of Return.’

Ynet recently reported that Sephardic Rabbi Amar presented Olmert with a draft bill aimed at rendering Reform conversions invalid for immigration to Israel and granting citizenship."

<snip>

"The proposal is an unacceptable attempt to delegitimize the Judaism of the majority of American Jews," the AJC letter says. "As such, it will be a blow to Israel- Diaspora relations that could not come at a more damaging time. The commitment of American Jewry to the survival and well-being of Israel is more vital now than ever."

"The work of the American Jewish Committee and other organizations to mobilize American Jews in support of the State of Israel in the crucial struggles that lie ahead could be seriously undermined if many in our constituency are alienated," according to the organization."

[Phx_Dem]

13. What does this have to do with I/P?

[UndertheOcean]

15. I=Israel , and this is about Israel.

n/t

[Phx_Dem]

16. The I/P forum is for discussion of the I/P conflict.

The Jewish forum would be a more appropriate place for this thread IMO.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lithos]

18. The Law of Return

Has some controversy in I/P affairs and affects I/P relations. It is appropriate to move here.

Lithos
DU Moderator