Rabbi Moshe Gafni began the last Knesset term with efforts to
advance legislation to set up a religious services authority.
Degel HaTorah's Rabbinical Council wrestled with the problem
and formulated the fundamental elements of the law.
"It is untenable to continue with good-for-nothing monetary
transfers to the local councils via the local authorities,"
explained Rabbi Gafni at the time. "Everybody knows that a
local authority head who becomes pressed for money and faces
a budget deficit would prefer to use available funds for more
popular needs rather than for kashrus or mikvo'os."
Just what is a "religious services authority?" The idea is
for a total upgrade of state religious services. Just as the
Antiquities Authority upgraded archaeology from a department
within the Education Ministry to an independent authority, so
too state religious services would be expanded and budgets
increased. The authority would have structural independence
and its employees would be given the status of government
workers.
The bill passed a preliminary reading, followed by five
meetings in the Knesset House Committee to review the matter.
But before the first reading the government fell and the rest
is history.
All of the parties supported the bill except Shas and Mafdal.
"They were simply afraid of losing control of their
privileges on the current religious councils," explains Rabbi
Gafni. "I told them Degel Torah also has religious councils
under its control, which is of no consequence. The law would
improve the situation of religious services in the State, and
that is the most important principle. Be aware," Rabbi Gafni
warned the Shas and Mafdal MKs, "that the entire business
could collapse. The existing law has become obsolete and now
is the time for an upgrade."
This bill, explains Rabbi Gafni, is the only solution to
ensure the stability of religious services and to raise them
to where they should be, "but we are currently living in the
shadow of a wicked government that wages war against
religion. Such a government will not pass a bill whose goal
is to upgrade religious services in the state."
