PM says opposes conversion bill
On backdrop of recent tensions with FM Lieberman, Netanyahu urges his ministers to vote against proposed conversion legislation led by Yisrael Beiteinu and haredi factions, says it will 'create a rift among the Jewish people'. Shas: Absence of law is greatest spiritual danger
On the backdrop of recent tensions with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified Sunday morning that he is against the controversial conversion bill initiated by Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu faction, which he said would 'create a rift among the Jewish people."
On Sunday afternoon, the Shas party reiterated its support for the conversion bill, saying that the absence of such a law would create "a great spiritual danger."
Using Netanyahu's words, Shas Chairman and Interior Minister Eli Yishai said that "not having a conversion law will lead to a rift among the people." The absence of a conversion is the greatest spiritual danger for the Jewish people at this time."
According to the interior minister, the lack of such a law would require an examination of historical familial ties – leading to a situation in which people will be disqualified to marry because their parents belonged to different factions.
A Shas official told Ynet the party planned to "go all the way" with the bill and that "all political scenarios are possible."
Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar even called on the ultra-Orthodox parties to quit the coalition. Amar, who took part in the wording of the bill, said Reform Jews took advantage of the political situation to pressure Netanyahu until he gave in. He also slammed the High Court of Justice, which he said was "eating into us, piece after piece."
Netanyahu: Bill will not pass
At the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, the prime minister reprimanded Minister for Minority Affairs Avishay Braverman (Labor) after the latter asked to make a personal announcement on the matter, and then surprised the minister by saying he opposed the conversion bill."The bill will not pass," Netanyahu said. "Nonetheless, you cannot use the personal announcement procedure to instill your personal agenda," he told Braverman.
Despite being scolded by the prime minister, Braverman insisted that he was entitled to raise the issue at the start of the cabinet meeting. "This thing must not be allowed to pass," the minister said ahead of Monday's Knesset vote. "It must be terminated by the government. The Knesset must not be allowed to discuss it. The bill must be pulled and the vote must be prevented."
He expressed his fear that the prime minister will capitulate due to the recent crisis with Lieberman over the state budget and allow the conversion law – led by the foreign minister and the haredi factions – pass the Knesset vote.
"My concern is that Netanyahu will try to please Lieberman with a compromise on this law. This is a bad law, a delusional law," Braverman said.
An official at the Prime Minister's Office clarified that Netanyahu opposed the conversion bill and that it would not be adopted by the Knesset.
"The prime minister told the cabinet meeting this morning that he would oppose the proposed conversion legislation, which could create a rift among the Jewish people. Efforts will be made to reach an agreement to pull the bill, but if it is not pulled Netanyahu will ask Likud members and other coalition factions to vote against it."
During the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu discussed the immigration regulations the government was slated to discuss. "This is a national issue of top priority, which carries demographic and humanitarian aspects. We are the only Western country without an immigration policy," he said.
"The main idea is to adjust the conditions for entering Israel to our security-related interests and maintaining Israel's Jewish and democratic nature," the prime minister added.
MK Rotem: PM will vote for bill
MK David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu) said in response to the prime minister's remarks that "when the law is brought to the Knesset, Netanyahu will vote in favor of it."
Rotem added that Netanyahu "fell into a trap".
"He is afraid. He has been pressured by all Reform and Conservative Jews. He is forgetting that he has not read the law. He has forgetting that he asked me to reach an agreement with all the coalition factions. He doesn’t understand, because he hasn't read it, that the law does not even apply to Jews abroad.
"I can promise you one thing," the MK said. "When this law is brought to the Knesset, Prime Minister Netanyahu will vote in favor of it. I say this because this is what will happen. Netanyahu is damaging himself, not us. The law will pass. If he thinks the immigrants have forgotten the damage he is causing to them by delaying this law, he is mistaken."
According to Rotem, "The prime minister operates according to pressure. One day this person presses him, and the other day someone else does it. It's not that he has thought deeply about this… He's just busy putting out fires."
Ronen Medzini and Attila Somfalvi contributed to this report
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