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.
