Gafni helps Reform build mikvas?

I think the Reform might just be trying to give MK Moshe Gafni(UTJ) some bad press, or just trying to annoy him a bit, but it is still a funny approach. Anyways, anything that is done to annoy Gafni is good, because he is sharp and at his best when he feels under attack and threatened, and when he has a target - which this gives him.

The Reform, under Gilad Kariv, are due to begin construction on the first Reform mikva in Israel.Kariv credits Gafni as being the impetus for the mikva being built, and he says he will invite Gafni to the ceremony and to cut the ribbon. Karic says it was unintentional on Gafni's part, but "מתוך שלא לשמה בא לשמה" and he thanks Gafni for helping them build the Reform institutions in Israel.

How did Gafni help them raise the money to build a mikva?

It seems that last year when the Haredi parties passed the law that all public mikvas in Israel have to operate according to halacha under the authority of the Rabbanut, they basically locked out the Reform from using the mikvas (the intention was for Reform conversions, but it also includes using the mikvas for anything). The law that was passed included a clause delaying implementation for 9 months (enough time to get pregnant and have a baby - ironic that this was the delay for the mikva law).

It turns out that the purpose for this delay was to allow funding, 10 million shekels, to pass through the Prime Minister's Office to the Reform organizations for the purpose of building mikvas, under the guise of  "connections to the Diaspora".

Back then Gafni said he was duped and would turn it into a world war if the money goes through, but then quietly it all went through and nobody made a big deal about it.
source: Actualic

It might be true or it might be a distortion by the Reform of how things went down back then, but either way I am looking forward to seeing Gafni's response to the forthcoming invitation. At worst it will be entertaining.

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