Rabbi Jacob Ariel, a prominent figure in religious Zionism, has called for an immediate cessation of legal reform legislation and protests until after Independence Day. The Rabbi’s petition, signed by other conservative rabbis, aims to put an end to the growing division in the nation, which has caused political, security, and economic damage in Israel. The petition is supported by the Coalition of the Tent of Agreements and joined by Rabbi Aryeh Stern, Rabbi of Jerusalem, Rabbi David Stav, Rabbi of Shauma and Chairman of Tzahar Rabbis, Yehoshua Sobol, Prof. Meir Bozaglo, and others. The petition appeals to both camps to call for a truce until after Independence Day, with the coalition stopping the course of legislation promoting legal reform and the protest camp stopping the course of protests against it. The goal is to initiate substantive and respectful dialogue between all parties in the Knesset to create a correct balance between the three characteristics of the State of Israel. The petition also calls for national responsibility and expresses love for the common ‘mother’ of all, the nation.
Rabbi Jacob Ariel, one of the most prominent rabbis in religious Zionism, calls for an immediate halt to the legal reform legislation and the protests until after Independence Day.
In a petition signed by a number of rabbis, some of whom are considered conservative, which is being published against the background of the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Galant, the rabbis call for stopping the rift in the nation that is growing stronger.
“After about two months of struggle between the opponents of the reform and its supporters and its leaders, one thing is clear – the State of Israel has suffered political, security and economic damage in these months. The main damage is the rift in the nation that is growing stronger. The sharp dispute has flooded all the tensions, resentments, animosities and anxieties that were repressed and have now joined the cauldron the boiling point of controversy and struggle,” reads a joint call to the rabbis.
The petition is led by the Coalition of the Tent of Agreements, and among the signatories are Rabbi Aryeh Stern, Rabbi of the City of Jerusalem, Rabbi David Stav, Rabbi of the city of Shauma and Chairman of the Tzahar Rabbis, Yehoshua Sobol, Prof. Meir Bozaglo and others. “Out of pain over what has already happened and out of concern for why that may occur, we appeal to both camps to call for a truce until after Independence Day; We call on the coalition to stop the course of legislation promoting the legal reform, and to the protest camp to stop the course of protests against the legal reform, in order to calm the spirits and allow the citizens of Israel to celebrate the Nissan and Iyer holidays with joy and optimism.”
“We hope that during the days of the lull it will be possible to produce a substantive and respectful dialogue between all factions in the Knesset in order to formulate the necessary amendments to the relations of the authorities with as broad an agreement as possible. The goal will be clear – to fix the relationship between the government and the Knesset to the court in a way that creates a correct balance between the three characteristics of the State of Israel as a Jewish – democratic – liberal state,” the petition reads.
It also reads: “The real mother of the baby in Shlomo’s trial was the one whose most precious thing was that the child would live and the most terrible thing in her eyes was that the child would be sentenced to years, God forbid. Today, all of us, the true sons of the ‘mother’ – the nation, are called to answer Her as a reward and to do everything so that she will not be sentenced, God forbid! The mutual truce of the legislative process and the protests, is not a surrender and surrender, but an expression of our love for the common ‘mother’ of all of us – the only nation we have, and a manifestation of national responsibility.”