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Regev Responds

President of Hiddush, Rabbi Uri Regev, gives his views on the topics that are most affecting Israel's campaign to establish religious fairness and equality.

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North American lawyers address the new government

Uri Regev 30/11/2022 01:00

On November 30, JPLAN, a network of Jewish lawyers, judges and legal scholars from North America (the Jewish Pluralism Legal Action Network, which works to strengthen Israel’s identity as a Jewish and democratic state in a manner that fully expresses freedom of religion and equality as promised in Israel’s Declaration of Independence) addressed the leaders of the parties currently working to form the new government.

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An End-of-Year review for Hiddush

Uri Regev 21/12/2017 12:54

With the end of the year approaching, we turn to you with a request to support the work of Hiddush and generously donate to us to enable us to expand and strengthen our advocacy work to promote freedom of religion and equality for all.

Conversion compromise postponed - again.

Uri Regev 19/12/2017 11:16

Efforts to draft a compromise agreement between the Haredi political parties and the Reform and Conservative movements in Israel over the issue of Jewish conversion will not be finished before a six-month deadline arrives at the end of this month.

Mazal Tov from the Consul General of Israel in New York

Uri Regev 14/12/2017 00:50

The New York Times reports that Consul General Dayan wrote: "it is no secret many members of the American Jewish community disagree with existing Israeli legislation on civil status issues... Ultimately the Israeli Knesset — elected democratically by the Israeli citizens — legislates.

Three weddings and a protest

Uri Regev 03/12/2017 10:58

Today, at Temple Emanu-El in New York, New York three young couples from Israel got married, making the statement that the basic right of marriage freedom should be denied to no one.

Yair Lapid's forceful speech against legislating religious coercion

Uri Regev 30/11/2017 23:16

The forceful speech made by Yair Lapid at the Knesset yesterday during a debate on a bill proposed by MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni, Chair of the Knesset Finance Committee, regarding Shabbat.

Corruption in the name of God

Uri Regev 17/11/2017 00:18

In the last couple days, a new chapter was added to the never ending saga of Israeli religious leaders who view the law as merely a suggestion. Whether for personal benefit or political opportunism, they do not hesitate to deviate from law and common norms.

The Kotel controversy

Uri Regev 03/11/2017 03:21

Many are following the twists and turns of the Kotel controversy with great interest and often anxiety. While grateful to the Jewish Week for featuring his take on the current state of the controversy, Rabbi Uri Regev feels that further contextualization and explanation is needed beyond the quotes that were reported.

The religion-state aspects of Israel's Nation-state bill

Uri Regev 18/10/2017 23:11

Next week the Knesset Special Committee on the Nation-State Bill (formally, 'Basic Law: Israel - The Nation-State of the Jewish People') will be deliberating on the revised draft bill, which was initiated by fourteen MKs from the Likud, Jewish Home, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Kulanu parties.

This week: just the latest in religious discrimination

Uri Regev 07/09/2017 16:02

Next week, Hiddush's annual Israel Religion & State Index will be published, and it will become clear just how much the gap between the public's will and the policies of Israel's elected official's has increased.

Comprehensive interview with Rabbi Shlomo Riskin in Israeli media

Uri Regev 29/08/2017 14:34

A recent detailed interview with Rabbi Shlomo Riskin appeared in the original Hebrew in Makor Rishon, with select paragraphs translated into English below.

FAKE NEWS? LIBA declares 71% Israelis prefer to marry via Rabbinate!

Uri Regev 17/08/2017 13:09

The LIBA Center, which proclaims to be "dedicated to strengthening the Jewish Character of the State of Israel" once again demonstrated how to mislead the public by means of statistics.

Finance Ministry Chief Economist: Haredi men must enter the workforce!

Uri Regev 11/08/2017 02:03

We turn back to addressing one of the key manifestations of the unholy link between religion and the economy. This time, it follows on the publication of a review by the Ministry of Finance's Chief Economist department, according to which increasing participation in the workforce among ultra-Orthodox Jews and Arabs will reduce the poverty level in Israel by 21%.

Does Shas leader Aryeh Deri promote religious freedom?

Uri Regev 27/07/2017 00:12

This week Shas leader and Interior Minister Rabbi Aryeh Deri turned to Israel's Attorney General, demanding that the mandatory guidelines regarding the exclusion of women in the public sphere be suspended and reconsidered.

Politicians who degrade the Diaspora shouldn't seek support in its communities

Uri Regev 29/06/2017 00:30

If you weren't on Mars this week, there is high likelihood that you are aware of the fierce storms engulfing Israel and world Jewry under the blazing summer sun. Every self-respecting Jewish organization issued a statement, and the language ranged from dismay to deplore, although most were lacking when it came to taking action.

Three battle fronts: The Kotel, Conversion, and Shabbat

Uri Regev 26/06/2017 19:47

Israel's religion and state conflict is viewed as a key component of shaping Israel's path. Recent days have provided us with a good cross section of the scope, depth, motivations, impact, and potential consequences of this ongoing saga.