“Who is a Jew” is Back!

02/12/2022 00:10

In recent days, there have been reports in the media from the coalition negotiation rooms that the Likud has accepted the demand of the ultra-Orthodox parties to change the law in a way that will prevent those who converted in Israel outside the Chief Rabbinate from receiving recognition as Jews, even at the civil level. This is not only a change to a long-standing ruling recognizing Reform and Conservative conversions in Israel, but also a step that is directed against Modern Orthodox conversions from the past few years, which are aimed at facilitating conversions of immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

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Coalition and Religion

Israel’s Supreme Court Under Threat

Uri Regev 08/09/2022 21:15

The future of Israel’s Judiciary, its independence and authority, and the rule of law have been threatened for some time, and are especially challenged at the present time, as Israel prepares for its fifth round of elections in the last three years.

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Jewish Home

Messing with the Law of Return again

27/08/2020 23:55

MK Smotrich's bill seeks to limit the horizons of Judaism and close the gates of conversion to the largest Jewish denominations of the Diaspora

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Shas

“Reform” as a generic invective

01/10/2021 00:45

On the eve of Sukkot, the cover of the Shas party’s newspaper “HaDerekh” featured an interview with the party leader, Rabbi Aryeh Deri as the lead article. The first item, in order and in importance, they chose to highlight was the delegitimization of the "Reformers" (i.e. Reform Jews).

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United Torah Judaism

The Weekly Scandal: “Blow up the Supreme Court”

Uri Regev 10/05/2022 22:00

There is hardly a week that goes by without a scandal or a struggle over religion and state. The weekly scandal, which accompanied last week's Independence Day celebration, is the video clip in which MK Yitzhak Pindrus, chair of the UTJ (United Torah Judaism, the Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox faction in the Knesset) is seen expressing his desire to blow up the Supreme Court: “You know what my dream is? To bring a D9 [bulldozer] and blow up the building.”

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Yesh Atid

Encouraging news on the modern Orthodox front

11/10/2018 22:29

One recent development that has been the widely publicized is the joining of Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party by two Modern Orthodox activists – Tehilla Nachlaon Friedman and Moshe Tur-Paz

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Yisrael Beiteinu

When Will Israeli Haredi Men Participate in the Workforce?

Uri Regev 16/06/2022 21:36

This week, the Committee for Special National Infrastructure Initiatives and Jewish Religious Services, chaired by MK Yulia Malinowsky (Yisrael Beitenu) met to discuss the integration of the ultra-Orthodox population in the Israeli workplace.

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