The Chief Rabbi, GRD Lau, addressed a letter to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett this evening (Tuesday), in light of the intention to promote the conversion outline and terminate the tenure of the head of the conversion system, Rabbi Moshe Weller – and clarified that the conversion reform would lead him not to sign converts anymore.
In his letter, the Chief Rabbi writes to Bennett: “The role of the head of the conversion system is to implement the halakhic guidelines of the President of the Great Court. And it is the duty of the head of the formation to ensure that the halakhic guidelines are observed. The termination of the term of office of the person in charge of implementing the halakhic guidelines is to sever the connection between the conversion system and the Chief Rabbinate, and will result in the severance and removal of the halakhic responsibility for what is done in the conversion system. ”
He added: “Unfortunately this step is part of the dangerous trend of promoting the conversion outline that is on the table these days. I reiterate, the proposed conversion outline will cause a significant rift in the people of Israel that will not be reconcilable. Implementing the proposed conversion plan will cause a split of the Jewish people, who will have to deal in the future with the difficult question ‘who is a Jew’, who can be married and who is not, a terrible situation of two states for two peoples, divided Judaism instead of united Judaism.
At the end of his letter, the Chief Rabbi announces: “I inform you with great sorrow that if the conversion outline is promoted and the term of office of the head of the conversion system is terminated, I will have to remove responsibility for everything done in the conversion system.”
The Chief Rabbi’s Office said: “The Chief Rabbi is currently the head of the Jewish community by law and has signed any conversion to a Jewish religion (conversion).
“Once that person is fired and the rabbi has no way of knowing according to what instructions the conversions were made, the chief rabbi will certainly not sign any conversion, regardless of the identity of the convert and which country he came from, without knowing for sure what was done according to his halakhic instructions.” The government tonight. “
Minister of Religious Affairs Matan Kahana said in response: “It hurts and regrets the intention of the Chief Rabbi to stop the conversion in Israel only due to the non-extension of a clerk’s term. The move will harm immigrants from Ethiopia, soldiers seeking to convert and thousands of other converts. “
He added: “With the intention of reaching as broad an agreement as possible, the government and the coalition are currently promoting a conversion law that will allow Israelis who wish to do so to convert according to Jewish law. The Minister calls on the Chief Rabbi to reiterate his intention to stop the conversion in Israel and to continue the commandments in order to reach agreements in favor of state and halakhic conversion. “
The chairman of Torah Judaism, MK Moshe Gafni, commented: .
“The resolute stand of the chief pregnant woman preserves the vineyard of the house of Israel and prevents the grave violation of the purity of the pedigree of the people of Israel.”
The Yisrael Beiteinu party responded: “The attempt to turn the converts into hostages of the ultra-Orthodox establishment that took over the chief rabbinate, as well as the threats from the chief rabbi against the minister in charge are crossing a red line and are in complete violation of the rules of proper administration.
“We call on the Minister of Religions to immediately dismiss the Chief Rabbi of Israel and prosecute him like any other civil servant.”