Ultra-Orthodox slam High Court's conversion ruling
UTJ MKs Litzman and Gafni led a fiece attack against what they call an attempt to destroy Judaism; Shas: 'The High Court is trying to undermine the foundation of Judaism'.
Leading Ultra-Orthodox MKs fiercely attacked the High Court's ruling on Thursday that the Law of Return requires that Israel recognize private Jewish conversions performed in Orthodox communities that are not within the state conversion system
In an unusually harsh statement, United Torah Judaism Minister Yaakov Litzman and MK Moshe Gafni said, "The Israeli public considers the devious actions of the High Court as part of a disastrous trend leading to the destruction of Israel's religion.The High Court has given its stamp of approval on the destruction of Judaism in the State of Israel."
Litzman and Gafni declare that they intend to demand that new legislation be passed "to preserve the Jewish people throughout the generations and the status quo on the sensitive issue of conversions. The fact the High Court wrestles control over issues that don't concern it shows disproportionate and excessive authority that defies logic. We will not allow High Court judges to determine who is Jewish in the State of Israel, in contradiction with Israel's tradition and Jewish religious heritage throughout the ages."
Shas, the other ultra-Orthodox party in the coalition, was furious with the ruling as well. Minister of Religious Affairs David Azulai stated, "The High Court is trying to undermine the foundation of Judaism in the State of Israel and is causing harm to the state conversion system and the Chief Rabbinate. Those who remain silent over this ruling to recognize pirate conversions should not be surprised to find hundreds of thousands of gentiles in Israel who will receive citizenship under the Law of Return as a result of a dubious industry of phony conversions. I intend to act through legislation so that conversions in Israel will be conducted only within the state's conversion system."
Israel's Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef also did not mince his words: "It's a scandal; it is inconceivable that pirate conversions that are not regulated by any governmental agency will be officially recognized."
On the other side of the political spectrum, Meretz's Zehava Galon welcomed the decision stating that it "breaks the Chief Rabbinate's monopoly." She expressed hope that this ruling will be applied to conversions from all streams of Judaism. She called it an important precedent which will help those outside the Orthodox stream be recognized as Jewish.
MK Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid) said that it was "great news for the State of Israel, for the war against assimilation and for those seeking to convert outside the dismissive system of the Chief Rabbinate. This is also great news to hundreds of Israelis who have already converted through alternative conversion courts and who will now be recognized by the state."
The Reform movement called the day of the decision "a holiday."
