Attorney Yehoshua Shifman, assistant to the Attorney General,
joined Shinui MKs on Monday in voicing opposition to proposed
legislation to require a mezuzoh be posted on every
public facility in Israel. Proposed by MK Rabbi Yaakov
Litzman (UTJ), the bill was passed by a large majority in a
preliminary reading in the Knesset plenum and Monday the
Interior Committee began preparing the bill for a first
reading.
Committee Chairman MK Yuri Stern (HaIchud HaLeumi) said
Jewish signs and symbols should be strengthened in Israeli
society in public facilities. "Unfortunately, we have become
a country that scorns national symbols," said Stern, speaking
in support of the bill.
MK Rabbi Litzman said the bill aims to require every doorway
built in the future in the Jewish sector to bear a
mezuzoh.
MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni said the bill does not entail any
significant budget funding and is not an act of coercion
since mezuzas would only be required in public
facilities which belong to the entire public. Those who
oppose the bill are opposed to Judaism, he said.
Attorney Shifman claims the drafting of the bill is unclear
since it does not specify whether mezuzas would have
to be posted on all doorways or just at the main door. "Out
of respect for halacha this bill is out of place," he
opined.
MK Chemi Doron (Shinui) said the bill aims to transform the
State of Israel into a nation based on halachah. MK Roni
Brizon (Shinui) claimed, "This bill is an unconstitutional
law and as such it is the epitome of coercion." Whoever votes
in favor of the bill, he said, "takes the Shulchan
Oruch and tries to bring it into the law book of the
State of Israel. This should be avoided out of honor to
Judaism."
A debate also developed over the cost of the law because the
draft of the bill does not make it clear whether it would
apply only to public facilities to be built after it takes
effect or to existing buildings as well. In the former case
it would cost only NIS 1.7 million ($380,000), whereas in the
latter case the cost would come to over NIS 200 million ($45
million) based an a figure of 75,000 existing buildings,
including schools, kindergartens, day-care centers, clinics,
and so forth.
