"Am Yisroel must express dread over the exultation and
cries of joy displayed by Shinui figures who embraced each
other and celebrated their victory of secularism after the
vote. We must consider carefully how to confront such a
State." -- Rabbi Ravitz
Following a harried meeting of the Knesset plenum and the
Likud Party, the Knesset approved the dismantling of the
Ministry of Religious Affairs and the transfer of its
authorities to various ministries. In a first reading, the
Knesset also approved the Dayanim Law, which transfers the
Rabbinate Botei Din to the Justice Ministry, and it
also approved the Chief Rabbinate Law, which transfers the
Chief Rabbinate to the Prime Minister's Office.
The decision to dismantle the Religious Affairs Ministry won
the support of 67 Knesset members, with 26 no-votes and one
abstention. The supporters were from the coalition--Likud,
Shinui, HaIchud HaLeumi and the National Religious Party
(only the ministers voted in favor, the MKs did not take part
in the vote)--and members of Labor and Meretz in the
opposition. Voting against the bill were MKs from United
Torah Jewry, Shas, Am Echad and the Arab parties, as well as
MK Avraham Burg of Labor.
The Chief Rabbinate Law drew 55 supporters, 20 opponents and
three abstentions. The supporters were from the coalition
parties, including all the NRP representatives. The opponents
were from the opposition--UTJ, Shas, Labor, Meretz, Am Echad
and the Arab parties, along with MK David Levy of Likud, who
was the only Likud MK to carry out his threat of voting
against the two bills. MK Melchior of Labor abstained.
Other Likud MKs who originally threatened to vote against the
bills either wound up voting in favor, like Yechiel Chazan,
or absented themselves, like Yuli Edelstein. Even MK Eli
Aflalo, who led Likud opposition against the transfer of the
Rabbinate Botei Din to the Justice Ministry,
surrendered to coalition dictates and voted in favor. After
the vote he claimed he had intended to vote no but got
confused.
MKs Aflalo, Chazan and Edelstein stormed out of a very stormy
Likud meeting held before the vote, claiming they had not
been allowed to state their positions on the Dayanim Law.
Sharon attached little significance to their anger, saying
they could vote however they wanted.
Sharon dismissed claims that the transfer of Rabbinate
Botei Din to the Justice Ministry and the dismantling
of the Religious Affairs Ministry would harm Judaism. "This
is a political attempt by a party not in the coalition to
bring down the government," he said, referring to Shas.
"Nobody is more Jewish than I am. The rabbonim have not been
harmed in any way. I did not allow and I will not allow harm
to be done on any Jewish issue . . . The composition of the
current coalition is the best it can be and it would be a big
mistake to dismantle it."
Before the party meeting the Prime Minister met with NRP
ministers and rejected their request to postpone the vote on
the dismantling of the Religious Affairs Ministry and other
laws until the problem of religious council workers was
solved and the cut in the yeshiva budget was cancelled.
Sharon also notified the NRP that he intends to proclaim the
vote to be a vote of confidence in the government, meaning
that members of the government who vote against the
government must leave.
Moments before the vote Sharon did ask that it be declared a
vote of confidence, but he withdrew his request immediately
afterwards to allow Labor MKs to support the dismantling of
the Religious Affairs Ministry.
Also just minutes before the vote, MK Eli Aflalo approached
Coalition Chairman Gidon Saar in an attempt to persuade him
to accept a proposal by the Chief Rabbinate to set up a
committee before the second and third readings in order to
make legislation changes according to demands of the Chief
Rabbis, but Saar rejected the proposal.
MK Rabbi Avraham Ravitz criticized MKs from both Right and
Left who pledged to vote against the Dayanim Law and he also
criticized the NRP's leadership. "We had promises from
Knesset members from Right and Left not to allow the law to
pass but at a some point they got scared and voted in favor
of the bill. The NRP publicly promised to vote against the
Dayanim Law because of the Chief Rabbis' opposition but when
the time came they sat like frightened rabbits facing a wolf
that might eat them, and voted in favor. They betrayed their
voters first and foremost, and definitely betrayed Am
Yisroel and Judaism. This has been their way for many
years."
Rabbi Ravitz also said, "Am Yisroel must express dread
over the exultation and cries of joy displayed by Shinui
figures who embraced each other and celebrated their victory
of secularism after the vote. We must consider carefully how
to confront such a State."
Shinui Chairman Minister Tommy Lapid called the decisions "a
historical achievement for the State of Israel achieved
through Shinui's resoluteness." He then said, "We have taken
another step forward towards the creation of a civil,
liberal, enlightened society that reflects the aspirations of
the majority of the public in the country. What parties from
the Left and the Right did not achieve over the course of
fifty years Shinui, which stands in the middle of the
political map, has achieved."
The NRP tried to downplay Shinui's attainment claiming it
supported the Dayanim Law because it grants the Nossi
of the Rabbinate High Court very extensive authority, leaving
almost no authority in the hands of the Justice Minister.
Minister Zevulun Orlev even tried to imitate Lapid, calling
the legislation "a historic achievement for the NRP" since
the law transfers the principle authority, heretofore held by
politicians, to the Nossi.
The NRP also claimed they had been promised that before the
second and third readings of the Chief Rabbinate Law and the
Dayanim Law they would reach an understanding with the
government regarding the cut in the yeshiva budgets and also
make an arrangement for the religious council workers, many
of whom have not been paid for months. They threatened that
if these matters are not handled as they were promised they
would oppose the laws in the second and third readings.
In contrast to the rejoicing in the Shinui camp, Meretz de-
emphasized the significance of the vote. Party Chairman MK
Zahava Galon claimed the transfer of the Rabbinate Botei
Din or any other Religious Affairs Ministry authority to
other ministries is not a major development or achievement.
"Shinui is throwing sand in its voters' eyes," she said.
Shas Chairman Eli Yishai reacted harshly to the Knesset
decisions saying they were reached "thanks to the modern
oppressors, Eitam and Lapid." He said, "The destroyers of
Yisrael worked indefatigably for the ruination of the Jewish
people. The passing of this law is a spiritual holocaust for
the Jewish people. Eitam and Lapid have removed themselves
from Klal Yisrael."
