The religious representation in the Knesset managed its most
impressive legislative achievement during this term of office
last Tuesday: the passage of the Religious Councils Law. The
law, whose purpose is to prevent the inclusion of Reform and
Conservative delegates in the religious councils, was
approved at its second and third readings in the Knesset by a
majority of only one vote. The victory followed a stormy and
tense drama in the Knesset plenum.
50 coalition members voted in favor of the law and 49
opposition members voted against it. One Knesset member
(Knesset Chairman, Dan Tichon-Likud) abstained.
The most dramatic part of the affair took place when the
chairman of the new Central party, outgoing Defense Minister
Yitzchok Mordechai, suddenly appeared in the Knesset in the
middle of the third reading vote. Mordechai was brought to
the Knesset from his home, after Shas chairman Rabbi Arye
Deri made an all out effort to persuade him to vote in favor
of the law. Mordechai's vote tipped the scales and the law
was approved. Unlike Mordechai, the other members of the new
centrist party in the Knesset voted against the law or were
absent (Lubotzki, Merom and Zvili opposed it; Meridor and
Zandberg were absent).
Deri reportedly asked the GSS agents who guard the Prime
Minister for the private telephone of Mordechai, who did not
come to the phone all day and did not return numerous calls
from all the religious politicians. The GSS agent who brought
the number insisted on handing it over to Deri personally.
After Deri reached Mordechai, the latter could not refuse the
direct request to come to vote.
Alex Lubotzki attacked the head of his own party, Yitzchok
Mordechai, saying that he doesn't understand why he supported
the law and that Mordechai erred. Another member of the new
party, Roni Milo, former mayor of Tel Aviv whose major issue
for years has been fighting religion, attacked the law and
said that it divides the nation.
The moment Mordechai entered the auditorium, most of the
chareidi and religious Knesset members, mainly from Shas,
shook his hand, expressing their satisfaction at his coming
to vote.
An additional story involves the Yisrael b'Aliya faction:
Five of its members, two of whom are ministers -- Edelstein
and Scharanski -- voted against the law at the third reading.
Two additional MKs, Goldman and Stern, who are currently
transferring to Avigdor Lieberman's new party, were
absent.
Most of the Arab MKs voted together with the opposition
against the law, despite pressure exerted on them by chareidi
Knesset members Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz , Rabbi Meir Porush and
Arye Deri. The only Arab MKs absent from the meeting were
Chag' Yichya (Labor) and Hasham Machmoud, who is leaving
Chadash. By doing so, they helped secure the majority.
Knesset chairman, Dan Tichon (Likud) who is not running in
the upcoming elections, voted with the opposition during the
second reading. However, during the deliberations he received
a note from the Prime Minister, and from that point on he
began to abstain. Tichon's abstention during the third
reading aided its approval.
At the end of the vote, the chareidi and religious Knesset
members were exultant and applauded the results. Meretz
chairman, Yossi Sarid, said that the law is antisemitic.
Before the voting, lengthy deliberations about the many
reservations of the opposition were held. The opposition
claimed that the law divides the nation and hurts most of the
world's Jews. Naomi Chazon (Meretz) claimed that "business
deals of the worst kind are taking behind the scenes," and
that attempts are being made to bribe Arab MKs.
Reuven Rivlin (Likud) responded: "Shame on you. The Reform
are the ones who bribe MKs."
Rabbi Lazerson responded by saying that the purpose of the
law is to prevent chaos in the country's religious services.
He protested the blasphemies uttered by the leftist MKs, who
used nearly every derogatory expression in the books in their
arguments. He stressed that halachic topics are in no way
subject to the authority of the courts. Reacting to the claim
that this law is merely intended to bypass the High Court
Rabbi Lazerson that the left passes laws to overrule the
courts all the time.
"You're allowed to do everything," Rabbi Lazerson cried out
to the leftists. "Brash expressions. Everything. If I were to
say a tenth of what you said here, you would place me behind
bars. We dare not undermine the foundation of the
halocho given to Moshe at Sinai."
Speaking in the name of the Government, Deputy Prime Minster
and Tourism Minister, Moshe Katzav, expressed support for the
law. "We must not allow the Reform to play a role in decision
making on religious issues. The religious councils were meant
to provide religious services. One who is not willing to
accept the religious and traditional way of life, surely
cannot be included in a body which provides religious
services," Katzav said.
Even though the law passed, there is an interval of some days
until it takes effect since it must first be published in the
official record of the Knesset proceedings. In the interim,
the old situation is still in force.
In Kiryat Tivon, near Haifa, the council met and almost
immediately adjourned since the chairman was not present.
While the members of the religious council maintained
absolutely no contact with the Reform, Kiryat Tivon resident,
Chaim Carmi arrived at the meeting site to protest the
attempts of the Reform to divide the nation. Carmi, who isn't
Torah observant, called out to the Reform: "Shame on you. You
came to Tivon, a city which respects religion, in order to
cause contention and hatred between its residents." The
Reform tried to answer, but additional Tivon residents joined
the protests against the Reform and the contention they are
causing in the city.
