Zeev Alperovitz of Merkaz Inyanim, a Haredi news media outfit not found on the Internet (that I know of), is
reporting on an upcoming series of laws soon to be passed, or at least proposed. This series of laws is being seen as an anti-Haredi blitz of legislation, and MK Uri Maklev (UTJ) is supposedly working his connections to thwart them in advance from being raised and/or passed, campaigning quietly for support among religious and right wing coalition MKs.
I would note that I have yet to see any of this reported anywhere else at this point. So, I dont know if it is real, if it is fake and simply fear-mongering, or if it is fake and when it doesnt happen (because it was never going to) it will be to the praise of Maklev for thwarting it...
Anyways, as the report goes, the laws to be proposed and passed include; making it illegal to have gender-segregated events, making it illegal to protest against the Women of the Wall, and to require Haredi and Dati rabbis to officiate at the weddings of Reform couples.
I wait to see how they will define an event that cannot be gender segregated and what events can be gender-segregated. Is davening in shul an event that can or cant be segregated? Can a bar mitzva in a shul social hall be segregated or not? What about a wedding in a wedding hall? What about a private concert or a play? Will this be an end to women's retreats or will that be ok? shiurim for men and shiurim for women? This does not seem like it is going to be easy to define or enforce, except at maybe the "more obvious" extremes.
Next, making it illegal to protest against the Women of the Wall at the Kotel. How can this possibly go down in the democratic state of Israel? During the period of CoronaVirus lockdowns, while everyone was strictly locked in their homes, the one thing people were able to go out for - even before they allowed individual exercise and services in shul - was protests. The right to protest is sacrosanct. It has been upheld when all other rights were curtailed. People have the right to protest outside the homes of ministers and the Prime Minister, outside government buildings, outside schools and outside the homes of individuals with whom they disagree - but they wont be allowed to protest against the activities of the Women of the Wall? This does not make sense. I cant believe they would pass a law making protest illegal against this or against any specific group. The Left would participate in a law curtailing the right to protest, even if it is true that some in the Coalition might want such a law?
The last one is a bit confusing as well but more form a point of why is it necessary? Haredi and Dati rabbis would not be able to refuse to officiate at the wedding of a Reform couple. At first thought, Haredi and Dati rabbis should be officiating at the weddings of anyone who wants them. Rabbis, any rabbi of any stream, should be happy to be turned to by people who want him involved in their lives at some level. But, how often do Reform couples want a Haredi rabbi officiating their wedding that this is much of an issue? Further, I am a little confused because Israel has no civil marriage allowances and any such marriages are illegal, as are any marriages outside of the Rabbanut (except for Muslim and Christian marriages, though those require involvement of their official religious representatives). So if it is illegal for a Reform couple to be married by a civil servant or by their Reform rabbi (assuming the Reform rabbi is not certified for performing weddings by the Rabbanut), how can Dati or Haredi rabbis ever be allowed to turn people away - if they are the only allowed to perform Jewish weddings, they should never be allowed to reject anyone Jewish wanting to get married!
So, none of these really make sense, making me wonder if the report is even true and not just fear-mongering. But if it is true, I dont see how they can pass the first two laws, and I dont see how they cannot pass the third unless marriage is opened up to civil and other non-Rabbanut rabbis....
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