MK Pindrus apologizes

After MK Yitzchak Pindrus caused a major brouhaha with is statement calling "shiksas" the female soldiers in the IDF who convert to Judaism through the Army conversion program, he has now apologized and clarified his thoughts and positions.

I think his apology and clarification is important, and also reasonable (even if I don't agree with what he says 100%, and maybe I will comment on that below), so I feel it is fair to bring it here and translate it. Not only is it important and reasonable as an apology, but I think it also sheds light as to the approach and  behavior of [some of] the Haredi politicians.

Pindrus apologized (source: Mako, Haredim10) for calling such a woman a shiksa and said:

The word "shiksa" was inappropriate and out of place. If I would want to curse someone, I should have looked elsewhere and not at a soldier serving in the IDF.

Religion is not personally mine, or personal to a soldier. As it is, even a not Jewish soldier who does not convert at all - I appreciate and value him, and think that he is giving to Israel sometimes even much more than a Jew from birth who does not give to Israel. At the end of the day, the category of Jew is a religious categorization, and need not be determined by the courts or by the Chief of Staff, but only by halacha. Somebody who undergoes conversion without the approval of the Chief Rabbinate is not considered a Jew - there is nothing to do about it, and it is not dependent on me.

There is no doubt that anyone who undergoes a halachic conversion, also through the IDF conversion system, is a convert. I apologize to those who went through halachic conversions and were hurt by what I said - - I think it was not correct. I speak from pain - the pain that there are children in the IDF who meet a nice young lady and think she is Jewish, and are not aware of the national tragedy they are bringing upon their families and on themselves.

Judaism is a religion, not a political game. Neither the Supreme Court nor the political party of United Torah Judaism are able to define what is a Jew. There is an intrinsic problem when you mic law and democracy with religion. It is oil and water, and that is why we run away from religious legislation, it is oil and water. To introduce a religious law is something that has no chance for success, we only do it when the Supreme Court puts a gun to our head. Therefore UTJ will demand of whatever government is formed to legislate the law to bypass the courts. At the end of the day, we are concerned about every religious law that comes to a vote, even today.

I would only comment on two points of what MK Pindrus said:

1. Pindrus said, "Somebody who undergoes conversion without the approval of the Chief Rabbinate is not considered a Jew - there is nothing to do about it, and it is not dependent on me"

I am sorry, but that itself is a law in the State of Israel, not halacha. There is no such halacha of centralizing the conversion process. According to Shulchan Aruch any beis din of 3 can convert someone to Judaism. There is no centralization, and no requirement of approval from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. If you are talking about halacha and saying that is the final word on the matter, the halacha says nothing about requiring the affirmation of the Chief Rabbinate.

And, on the same matter, when he goes on to talk about avoiding religious legislation, maybe they should not support the requirement of requiring the involvement of the CHief Rabbinate but should support the Supreme Court decision. The Supreme Court decision allowing any beis din to perform conversions for Israel is more in line with halacha than the law UTJ supports requiring the Chief Rabbinate's involvement. True, the law as it would be according to the Supreme Court could cause problems with the Reform, but the rest of the world has found ways to deal with that. So which is it - halacha or mixing religion and democracy which he says is oil and water?

2. UTJ really does avoid religious legislation, for the most part. They don't really push religious laws, but try to get policies categorized under the Status Quo. Shas might be different, but UTJ is more hesitant on that. Maybe that is why in all this time in government they avoided passing a conversion law, a draft law and so many others.

But, if they are really so against the mixing of religion and democracy, maybe they should support the separation of Shul and State.

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