what about priests and sheiks who are about in the same category but not Jewish.

receive state funding even though they are Rabbis of communities ONLY the Chief Rabbi does. Reform and conservative should not be different then all Rabbis who do NOT receive funding.

Reform is one of the main reasons that so many Jews have assimilated. They change the rules to suit them when to pretty much whatever they like and very much based on fashions of the time or convenience. You can drive on Shabbat because its easier than walking, you can switch on the lights that way you don't have to leave them on all day or sit in the dark at night. Men & women can sit next to each other in prayers, why should the women be forced to sit at the back behind a curtain or upstairs. Why shouldn't women be allowed to be called up when the Torah is being read? Why should women be banned from putting on teffilin? Today its women rabbis because these days equal rights is the fashion so if society says equal rights then women should also be allowed to become rabbis The more you water down the religion the less important it becomes and eventually it just doesn't matter, if somebody wants to marry a non Jew then they will, if they don't want to spend their time praying when they could be at the beach on a Saturday morning then they will. Instead they create silly politically correct but pointless things like at Christmas / Hanuka time they have a hanuka tree rather than a christmas tree. We should not be encouraging reform by giving it state funding.

There is a people, and a Torah and the Eternal G-d of Israel, Then there will be those who desire to be a Jewish soul nothing can change this. All you need to worry about is YOU! How are you treating those around YOU! B'H G-d will have his perfect will in this too.

Equality is the wrong word. The govt chooses to recognize and fund other religions. But don't call it judaism . Christianity also started this way.

The more you water down the religion the less important it becomes and eventually it just doesn't matter, if somebody wants to marry a non Jew then they will, if they don't want to spend their time praying when they could be at the beach on a Saturday morning then they will. Wake up dude ! It's already like this. Religion belongs to old times...

As a conservative Jew who recently spent a few months in Israel and is really thinking about making aliyah sometime soon, this is very reassuring. I want to be Jewish, feel more Jewish. But the black/white atheist/orthodox all or nothing divide in Israel is very bad, particularly for the casual observers like me. This is a great achievement for Israel and hopefully if and when I do decide to come home soon, there will be more conservative synagogues suitable to my family's needs.

The world is marching forward and Israel with it. Every day brings something new, something positive. Orthodoxy is negative by trying to stop[ progress. There is no room for it in Israel outside of museums. Congratulations on the right decision to equalize Reform with Orthodox streams. But it is inappropriate for a modern state to fund religion in any way. OK, ok, go fund some museums if you must.

The state wants donations which are dwindling in the reform and conservative sector

We Jews need to grow closer and to communicate instead of using hate speech and labels to divide us further. We all are seeking Hashem from where we are at this moment. No one should hinder this journey but rather help it and nurture it. Only Hashem knows the inner most heart.

Please send me money, too. For that matter, I am a nuclear physicist and brain surgeon. Send me my Nobel Prize.

As long as the Israeli mentality and psyche dictates that Israel is not a Jewish state, despite some politicians mere rhetoric, they will soon be funding every "religion" in the world. This is only one small step towards a real non-Jewish Israel. The question is: What is "Jewish" and how do you wish the Torah to be interpreted....and as such, with divergence and division you will create the fall of any empire.

Mazal Tov!

... short of that, this is a step in the right direction.

YES !!!!! Wonderful news !!!

Reform Judaism is older than Medinat Israel, so it must be recognized.

Do you want an interpretation of what Culture is? How about what History is? I am sure you can google for it and my help is not needed. As to religion, it will be individual's private choice, separate from state affairs. Israel will define itself as Jewish in its constitution, recognizing its culture and history. Why argue about an unproven thing, about a hypothesis? You take your hypothesis while I take mine and we can live in peace ever after. Can it get any simpler than that?

and now the Jewish state is funding them. Secular state of Israel would do anything to destroy Judaism.

A mathematical model has shown that without migration away from Judaism there would be over a Billion Jews alive today. Jews have always assimilated and left Orthodoxy for something else. Assimilation is a natural process and it has been going on for hundreds, if not for thousands of years. Take my case for example: both of my parents came from strictly Orthodox families in Poland. Both of them joined the Communist Party which was in the underground, before w.w.2. Assimilating had nothing to do with Reform or any other religious stream in Judaism, nor with any other religion. My parents were good Jews and both are buried in Israel.

This is the beginning of the end. So-called 'rabis' who twist Judaism and the Talmud to fit their own personal conveniences. 'Rabis' who state marrying non-jews is OK, and that celebrate homosexual weddings. 'Rabis' who promote assimilation with an anesthesia. Funded by the state? We need no arabs to level Israel, these reforms will do.

Understand something: we knew where to found Israel, we know we are jews, we can speak hebrew, and we are everything we are because our culture was well preserved throughout centuries by rabis who never compromised Judaism. These so-called 'rabis' who want to 'reform' what Moshe Rabeinu, the prophets, Baal ShemTov and others tought us, are nothing but a speedy way to our extinction. To fund them? Have we lost our minds?

Are you 100% sure? Or is it your narrow medieval mind doing the job without any other help?

I see here accusations, violent words, hateful slogans and Ive to say thats not jewish! We arent told to hate each other, we arent told to insult each other! We should share love and understanding, thats jewish! I can understand that the orthodox and ultra orthodox are afraid of the comming change, are afraid of loosing power and money (they recive about $450 million per year) but judaism is not only about being orthodox, there are many ways to fulfil a jewish life, look at the old great sages, they never spoke with just one voice. Personally I see a chance in reform and conservative judaism, they maybe can be the bridge to the secular jews, which have turned away from the orthodox way long time ago. So let all ways of judaism be prosper and rich, let us be brothers and sisters, respecting each other, dont let us be victims of hate.