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MK Miki Zohar, Chairman of the Coalition [the majority whip] saw fit to draw a direct line between the attack on the US Capitol and the demonstrations that have been going on against the prime minister for months.
The thoughts of many of our readers, especially in the United States, are on yesterday's events in Washington, DC. It’s hard to believe that those events occurred, and they will make their mark on American society and politics for a long time to come.
This week it became clear that Israel is going to elections for the fourth time in two years! The reality poses difficult challenges for Israel and the world, but the politicians leading Israel have failed to rise to these challenges and lead Israel out of the medical economic, social and educational crises that COVID-19 has forced upon us.
Netanyahu is not guaranteed a majority with his traditional partners in the ultra-Orthodox parties, as has been seen in election polls in recent weeks. And - it may be possible for the political right to form a majority coalition without needing the ultra-Orthodox parties. Remember, Hiddush’s polls consistently show that even among right-wing voters, there is a solid majority for many of the issues of religious freedom and equality.
The US Supreme ruled yesterday on the appeal of Agudath Israel of America and Church organizations, placing religious freedom before pandemic precautions by temporarily blocking recent rules in New York that severely restricted gatherings at houses of worship in areas hit hardest by COVID-19.
The Supreme Court held a multi-party hearing, including Hiddush, on the matter of egalitarian prayers and Women of the Wall services at the Kotel plaza...
Today, Hiddush's legal team spent time at the Jerusalem District Court. This is where our petition against the Jerusalem Municipality and Religious Council regarding matter of building illegal eruvs throughout the city was being heard.
A public outcry erupted last night following a police operation, following complaints from neighbors, to shut down the wedding of an ultra-Orthodox family held in a private house in the Jerusalem area, with dozens of guests in violation of the law prohibiting this during the pandemic lock-down.
A recent Haaretz article underscores how the disregard of significant groups in Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community on the issue of restrictions imposed to limit the spread of COVID-19 marks a deadly low point on a path of self-destruction that has been underway for many years, and how Israeli society and government have allowed them to do so.
We are proud to present you with Hiddush’s twelfth annual Israel Religion & State Index. The pride and satisfaction are twofold. Firstly, in that we are once again producing a unique survey unparalleled in its scope, continuity, and depth of exploration in all major Israeli religion-state issues.
It is important to emphasize that despite the sense of deep crisis and political tension surrounding security, economic, and social issues, religion & state issues have not magically disappeared. To a large extent, it is, in fact, exactly the opposite: The Corona crisis has provided a pretext for new layers of religiom & state battles.
Following demands by Or Yehudah municipal inspectors to local residents to remove a Chabad "Messiah Flag" from their home windows, threatening them with fines if not removed, Hiddush demanded that the municipality retract the illegal demand and ensure that similar measures be avoided in the future.
Israel and the Jewish World have entered the national fast day of Tisha b’Av, symbolizing the destruction of the First and Second Temples, as well as many other difficult events in Jewish people’s history.
The Jerusalem Municipality deleted the list of synagogues in the city from the municipality's website in order to avoid publicizing non-Orthodox synagogues and non-Jewish houses of worship – Hiddush launching a worldwide petition drive and planning further legal action.
The world is definitely changing, but one thing does not seem to change: The battle for religious freedom and equality in Israel is continuing as if there were no pandemic… clearly and adversely impacting Israelis, as well as American and world Jewry.