Beinish. 'Where is the flaw?'
Photo: George Ginsburg
The issue of reception committees
in communal settlements reached the High Court of Justice on Tuesday, although the judges decided not to discuss the matter in principle as it is expected to be debated by the Knesset soon.
"When I read the committee's option, I couldn’t find the discussed unsuitability. After all, we are not talking about a community with a special haredi character, but about a communal settlement. What is the personal flaw in these people? I didn't see any unsuitability and I don't understand what is left to be considered."
Nonetheless, Supreme Court President Dorit Beinish criticized the authorities over a petition filed by the Zabidat couple, who were not admitted into the community of Rakefet in northern Israel.
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Justice Elyakim Rubinstein added, "We really don't want this case to turn into another war on whether Arabs and Jews can live together."
Beinish added, "What was the problem of social unsuitability? Unless you are saying that an Arab couple is unsuitable for such a community. Is that what you're saying?"
The State's representative, Attorney Uri Keidar, said that wasn't what was said and that the entire matter must be re-discussed. He added that there was no problem to ask the reception committee to look into the issue again.
The judges ruled that the couple's matter would be handed back to a different reception committee, without undergoing a psychological assessment. The State was ordered to inform the High Court by May about the appellants' situation.
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