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The approaching vote over the “Market’s Bill”, labeled by the public as a “Shabbat Bill” is representative of the mounting public and political debate over the clash of religion and state.
Six years after the enactment of an amendment to the Security Service Law to establish a process for revoking thousands of women's exemptions for falsely claiming to having religious lifestyles that conflict with IDF service, the law has remained a dead letter. The prerequisite regulations have not been enacted, and the amendment could not be implemented.
This week, the annual Israel Democracy Index was published by the Israel Democracy Institute, underlining that Israelis harbor deep distrust for their politicians, the media, and the Chief Rabbinate but are generally favorably inclined toward the courts and presidency.
A recent report by the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel sheds light on another important dimension of the official statistics on Haredim in Higher Education that are so frequently cited by government officials.
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.
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 my take on the current state of the controversy, Uri feel that further contextualization is needed.
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.
Hiddush just scored a victory in the Jerusalem District Court in a freedom-of-information case, involving a huge amount of governmental grant monies, exceeding one hundred million NIS, provided to mostly Orthodox religious outreach organizations
This has been a very productive week for Hiddush on two fronts: The 2017 Israel Religion & State Index, and the Vision State for a Jewish democratic statement, written by Rabbis Marc Angel and Uri Regev.
On August 31st, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled on a matter brought by the Reform and Conservative Movements, Women of the Wall, Hiddush and Yisrael Hofshit regarding whether to require the government to adhere to the Kotel agreement.
The US State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report for 2016, released last week, diplomatically pans the lack of progress by the Israeli government toward increased religious freedom.
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%.
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.
Newly elected Labor party leader Avi Gabbay has made the following public declarations on freedom of marriage, religionization, and public transportation on Shabbat. Will his Labor party finally take a stand?
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.