Regev Responds
North American lawyers address the new government

North American lawyers address the new government

On November 30, JPLAN, a network of Jewish lawyers, judges and legal scholars from North America (the Jewish Pluralism Legal Action Network, which works to strengthen Israel’s identity as a Jewish and democratic state in a manner that fully expresses freedom of religion and equality as promised in Israel’s Declaration of Independence) addressed the leaders of the parties currently working to form the new government.


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Don’t undermine Jewish unity - the State Conversion in Israel bill

Don’t undermine Jewish unity - the State Conversion in Israel bill

Minister Arye Deri’s is obsessed with eradicating any state recognition of Reform and Conservative Judaism in Israel. Now he’s submitted the “State Conversion in Israel” bill, which would for the first time legislate the exclusive authority of the state-established rabbinic bodies over conversion.

Conversion bill to reject all conversions outside of Israel's Rabbinate

Conversion bill to reject all conversions outside of Israel's Rabbinate

A measure submitted earlier this month by the Interior Ministry led by Rabbi Aryeh Deri, head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, is a blatant effort to circumvent a March 2016 Supreme Court ruling that allowed those undergoing private Orthodox conversions in Israel to become citizens under the Law of Return.

Pew's 2017 Global Restrictions on Religion Report

Pew's 2017 Global Restrictions on Religion Report

According to the Pew Research Center's recent report, Israel is among the 11 worst countries in the world for the 'Social Hostilities Index', categorized along with Syria, Nigeria, and Afghanistan as 'Very High'.

A reflection for Pesach 2017

A reflection for Pesach 2017

We at Hiddush realize that we need to view the concept of freedom beyond simply delivery from slavery, and as we celebrate Passover this year, we are ever motivated to bring Israel more fully into a state of religious freedom and equality.

A Haredi Supreme Court Judge - What does that really mean?

A Haredi Supreme Court Judge - What does that really mean?

There is therefore need for further thinking as to the prerequisites for serving in the state’s judicial institutions in general, and the Supreme Court in particular.

Supreme Court nominations threaten religious freedom

Supreme Court nominations threaten religious freedom

Last week, months of nomination deliberations for four positions that will soon become vacant on Israel's Supreme Court came to an end. Israel's Minister of Justice, Ayelet Shaked, the token secular representative of the Zionist Orthodox Jewish Home party, chaired the nominations committee.

Chief Rabbi Yosef attacks Israel's civil courts

Chief Rabbi Yosef attacks Israel's civil courts

Last week at a national rabbinic conference, Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef declared that rabbis should warn the Israeli public that in the event of legal disputes, they should take their cases to the rabbinical courts, rather than to Israel's civil courts.

A shocking Rabbinic Court ruling regarding a battered wife

A shocking Rabbinic Court ruling regarding a battered wife

Hiddush has repeatedly challenged the continued monopoly of the Chief Rabbinate and rabbinic courts over matters of personal status of all Jews in Israel. Last week, we saw one of the most shocking and deplorable examples of why this authority should urgently be withdrawn.

Politicians and Shabbat – this is not the way!

Politicians and Shabbat – this is not the way!

Shabbat appears in the Ten Commandments twice; once anchored in Divine Creation and once in the context of social justice, concern for society’s weak.

Leading Ashkenazi Rabbi rules: Women should not be allowed to drive

Leading Ashkenazi Rabbi rules: Women should not be allowed to drive

Often we are reminded of the outlook at the core of the ultra-Orthodox political parties' actions. While they may appear to share our respect for a democratic society oriented toward civil liberties, the truth is that their motivations are anything but.

Landmark Supreme Court cases emblematic of Israel's religion-state divide

Landmark Supreme Court cases emblematic of Israel's religion-state divide

This week has been very busy on the legal front of religious freedom & equality in Israel. In many ways, it has been symptomatic of the intensity and diversity of the many issues confronting Israel along the religion-state divide.

No legal prohibition against displaying Christmas trees!

No legal prohibition against displaying Christmas trees!

Following a letter sent by the Jerusalem Rabbinate to the city's hotels, which claimed it inappropriate to display Christmas trees in hotels and inappropriate to permit New Year's parties, Hiddush promptly wrote to the Ministry of Religious Services.

The growing challenge to religious freedom and equality

The growing challenge to religious freedom and equality

The ultra-Orthodox parties, joined by a number of key members of other Coalition parties, to put an end to the prospects of greater opportunities for Women's and egalitarian worship practices at the Western Wall plaza.

‘Tzviut’ – not ‘tzniut’! (Hypocrisy, not modesty)

‘Tzviut’ – not ‘tzniut’! (Hypocrisy, not modesty)

The first business conference organized by the ultra-Orthodox newspaper Hamodia, Agudat Israel’s organ, took place last week. So who was not invited? Not a single woman – neither as a speaker nor as an attendee.

The ‘Muezzin Bill’ – a masquerade

The ‘Muezzin Bill’ – a masquerade

It's the Litzmans and Deris of the religious Jewish leadership that have never hesitated to deny these very freedoms to fellow Jews and non-Jews whenever they have had the political ability to do so.

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