As we were preparing this newsletter, missiles were leaving a trail of smoke and fire, the Iron Dome was in full action, mortar bombs, planes and drones were flying overhead. Over 1,200 missiles have been fired by the Islamic Jihad from Gaza towards the towns in the south and center of the country, and again Israel found itself in a cycle of war that returns annually again and again. Thankfully, a cease fire has been brokered with Egypt’s active engagement, but as of yet, no real solution seems to be in sight or is being seriously considered.

While the majority of the public want cuts in allocations to religious institutions, the Coalition is buying the votes of the ultra-orthodox parties, spending additional billions of tax money in shear contradiction to Israel’s security, economic and social interests. Shame on them!

We share with you a translation of one of the most instructive and concise texts we have read recently, the words delivered by Prof. Moti Segev from the Technion on April 29th, 2023, at the weekly demonstration of thousands held in Haifa. His words offer a genuine and compelling perspective from the protest movement, conveying nuances and emotions beyond what you may have read and heard until now.….

Since its establishment in 2009, Hiddush has published a unique annual report called the "Religion and State Index", which is based on a comprehensive survey and a large representative sample of the adult Jewish public in Israel. Its findings, which are published every year just before Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year [you can find the 2022 index report here], have been demonstrating for years that the politicians' cynical statements about the public's support for the "status quo" on matters of religion and state (and especially the false declarations by the speakers of the current coalition that the results of the last elections prove the public's preference for a traditional and religious country ) are completely baseless. A large and consistent majority expresses support for the principle of freedom of religion and conscience guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence and its opposition to every element of religious coercion and excess privileges granted to the ultra-Orthodox sector.

At the beginning of March 2023, the Supreme Court accepted Hiddush’s arguments and dismissed the State's appeal against the ruling of the Jerusalem Administrative Court on the issue of "Utah marriages". The Jerusalem Administrative court ruled in favor of the petition filed by Hiddush and ordered that the Population Authority and the Ministry of the Interior are obligated to register as married any couple who marry through the “Utah online marriage". The ruling of the Supreme Court concludes the legal part of Hiddush’s two-year battle against the Minister of the Interior and the Population Authority and enables thousands of couples to marry in a civil marriage without having to leave Israel. Unfortunately (and shamefully) civil marriage and divorce in Israel are still a distant reality, but the ruling of the Supreme Court constitutes a breakthrough in the struggle for freedom of marriage. You can read more about the ruling of the Supreme Court here.

We have just concluded the celebration of Passover, the Festival of Freedom, and next week we will celebrate Israeli Independence Day. Both holidays have an added special meaning this year. The festival of freedom reminds us that freedom is not granted without a struggle, and Independence Day heightens our awareness that independence gained by blood 75 years ago is likewise not to be taken for granted nor guaranteed forever.