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68% support Diaspora Jewish involvement in advancing freedom of religion and equality in Israel
Contrary to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s refusal – 84% of the public wants to anchor the principle of equality into a Constitutional Law. Also: parties that herald giving the Declaration of Independence constitutional force would receive additional public support.
This week, Hiddush received a statement from the Office of the Attorney General, confirming that our request had been received and that detailed instructions had been given to the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, regarding the official restrictions imposed upon him in his handling of kashrut issues due to a conflict of interest.
The Nation-state Law has captured the headlines for quite some time now, culminating in its adoption by the Knesset yesterday. There are a number of facets to this bill, which should be highlighted as far as matters of religion-state and Israel-Diaspora relations are concerned.
An analysis of the much-debated haredi draft law.
Drafting Haredi yeshiva students is an ages-old controversy, which is reignited every few years, stirring up the political arena. The new challenge that has emerged, as was the case in the past, has come from the Supreme Court.
The best that can be said about the proposed State Conversion Bill is that it is destined to be thrown away into the waste bin that Israeli politics has designated for the recommendations of committees appointed mostly to put out political fires.
Our readers have come to expect Hiddush underscoring the unacceptability of ultra-Orthodox political shenanigans, extortion and coercion. However, this week, we heard comparable sentiments expressed by a leading Government Coalition member - Likud Minister Akunis.
This week, Jewish philanthropist Charles Bronfman gave a commencement address at the Hebrew Union College. The schism between North American Jews and Israel is clearly a grave concern of the man who co-founded Birthright. Some two-thirds his speech went entirely to the widening rupture.
This week we started action on behalf of a former Haredi man who is serving in the IDF and faces discrimination, as well as on behalf of a school and a PTA who have confronted a zealous religious fundamentalist who is trying to tempt their students to "experience Judaism" his way.
Minister of Culture Miri Regev (no relation), who is responsible for the official celebrations, invited the public to sign on to the country’s Declaration of Independence. Are she and her colleagues in the Knesset truly committed to its principles, particularly to the commitment to inclusion and diversity…or is this just another PR stunt?
Last week, Israel’s Sephardic chief rabbi, Yitzhak Yosef, explained a point of ritual by likening a black child born to white parents to a “monkey.” Immediately following the publication of his racist remarks, a storm erupted. It was widely broadcast, including by JTA, Newsweek and the Palestinian media.
A new survey reveals how strongly the Israeli public is opposed to the demand of the ultra-Orthodox parties to pass a new 'Basic Law: Torah study', as well as an amendment to the Defense Service Law to legalize the continued draft dodging of most yeshiva students.
The Zionist Orthodox Tzohar rabbinic organization announced that it is launching a kosher supervising entity that will compete with the Chief Rabbinate.
The Just this week, on Tuesday, following Hiddush's petition, the Knesset approved regulations that would, for the first time, put a halt to the mass phenomenon of false claims of religiosity aimed at receiving exemptions from military service.