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29 Adar 5759 - March 17, 1999 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Jerusalem Religious Council Suspended

by Yated Ne'eman Staff

Religious Affairs Minister Eli Suissa has suspended the Jerusalem Religious Council and named its head as caretaker. It is believed to be the first time ever that a religious council has been suspended.

The councils are trying to protect themselves from being forced to include Reform and Conservative representatives. Suspending the councils effectively achieves this goal.

Uri Regev, executive director of the IRAC, had complained to Rubinstein that Suissa was not fulfilling his mandate under the law. Fist, Regev charged that Suissa was obligated to convene the religious council when the councils themselves fail to do so.

Second, Regev demanded that the chairman and vice chairman of the Jerusalem religious council be denied their salaries until they agree to convene.

Rabbi Avner Amar, senior adviser to Suissa, announced the latest development after the council failed to convene for the fourth consecutive time.

"As of this past Sunday, Rabbi Yitzhak Ralbag, head of the religious council, is appointed caretaker," Rabbi Amar announced in Suissa's name.

"He'll be unable to fire workers or to introduce new workers, but he'll be responsible for the day to day functioning of the council, and everything connected to it. This order will stand until the members of the council convene of their own volition."

Rabbi Amar did not explain why he sent invitations to the meeting to members of the council on the same day as Minister Suissa issued his order suspending the council.

The law states that the minister has the authority to appoint someone if the council does not function in one specific matter, which is how Minister Suissa is interpreting the situation.

Secondly, the law says that if the council does not function altogether--the interpretation of the Conservative and Reform members of the council--then the minister must appoint an inquiry committee to investigate the state of the council.

A member of the Attorney-General's Office must be appointed to that inquiry committee.


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