In an obvious attempt to deflect attention from his
difficulties in foreign policy and his lack of action to
tackle domestic issues, Prime Minister Barak unveiled on
motzei Shabbos several legislative initiatives aimed
at secularizing Israel. Key points of the program are to
implement a full constitution for Israel, to allow some form
of civil marriage, to require universal civil service, and to
require that all educational institutions that receive
government funds must teach a "core curriculum" of English,
mathematics and civics. Another point is to dismantle the
Religious Affairs Ministry.
The plan drew a sharp reaction from chareidi leaders. MK
Rabbi Ravitz said that Barak adopted the platform of his good
friend Tomy Lapid of Shinui. MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni said that
Barak's proposal was not serious. "It is not even a
declaration of war," Gafni said, "since Barak is not serious.
He thinks that he is starting his election campaign, the
people hold him in contempt and remember well how he worked
against yeshiva students before the last elections and
everyone saw the recent results of all those declarations.
Even the secular community hears these proposals fully aware
of the fact that for the past year he personally fought to
keep all these proposals off the agenda."
There are some parts of the program that have the support of
religious and chareidi leaders. Dismantling the Religious
Affairs Ministry, in particular, has been a pet project of
Rabbi Gafni for many years. The Chief Rabbis have also voiced
support for doing so. The partial dismantling of the ministry
is apparently the only plank in Barak's civil reform package
that can be implemented right now, as all the other moves
require legislation for which Barak cannot secure a majority.
Legal experts said that it is possible to transfer
departments from one ministry to another without obtaining
the Knesset's approval.
Barak denied he would work against religious interests in
formulating a constitution and defended the move as a "must"
if Israel is to "integrate with the most progressive
societies in the world." He warned that, "otherwise, we will
have a society divided into ghettos." An official in the
Prime Minister's Office said that, in any case, the reforms
would require longer to work out than a deal with the
Palestinians.
He set up a team, including Ministers Yossi Beilin, Shlomo
Ben-Ami, and Michael Melchior, to formulate a working
document.
Likud leader Ariel Sharon slammed the initiative as one more
example of a bankrupt government. "What we're seeing is a
shocked, panicked government," Sharon said. "We need to bring
down this government as soon as possible."
The Likud accused Barak of seeking an alternative to the
stalemated talks with the Palestinians and said he is not
truly interested in the reforms. Even in One Israel there is
skepticism that the prime minister has votes in the Knesset
to ram the program through.
Senior sources in One Israel said that at most Barak "will go
into elections with these reforms and may succeed in bringing
back the secular voters who forsook him because of his series
of concessions to Shas."
