One of the most important steps of the protest against the legal revolution was to shine a spotlight on legislative measures and policy changes that contradict liberal values and liberal Judaism, which entered into coalition agreements and are waiting for the revolution to pave the way for final and safe legislation, without fear of the High Court of Justice. It is commonly believed that these legislative measures are waiting for their turn, after the picture becomes clearer.
Only it doesn't work that way: the smokescreen of the president's residence hides from the public what is actually happening. The Knesset's summer conference is taking place and advancing, and although certain legislative changes are waiting for a thaw, the coalition members, especially the most experienced of them – from the ultra-Orthodox parties – are not giving up on implementing the coalition agreements.
Here are some issues that have advanced in just the past two months: legislation abolished the practice of granting a passport to an immigrant upon becoming a citizen; A bill is being promoted in a rapid process to weaken local authorities in the appointment of local rabbis and open the door to the appointment of hundreds of rabbis in localities and neighborhoods throughout the country; Legislation is progressing to extend the terms of the current chief rabbis and postpone rabbinical elections to an unknown date; A discussion was held in the socioeconomic cabinet in which ultra-Orthodox members of the government demanded a halt to railway work on the Sabbath.
Huge congestion at passport issuing offices without an appointment // Photo: Mendy Schnur, Moshe Ben Simhon
Some of the measures sound minor, but they are complementary steps that prepare the infrastructure for full implementation of the coalition agreements in all their clauses. Some of them are certainly not small.
Take the amendment to the passport law as an example. Even during the coalition negotiations, the desire of several parties in the coalition to reduce the Law of Return and reduce the scope of immigration to Israel was revealed. The passport law is a step along this path; It weakens the citizenship of those entitled to the Law of Return and states that while they can become citizens as long as the Law of Return is not amended, they are conditional citizens without a passport.
If there was a desire to apply a gradual naturalization procedure as in many civilized countries, it would make some sense, but this is not the case. The law only harms the ability of citizens to leave and return to Israel, even if their center of life remains in the country, simply because they are immigrants.
Nor is the law of local rabbis a slight blow to the wing.
This is a law enshrined in a clause in the coalition agreement with Shas that is intended to subordinate the local rabbis to the Chief Rabbinate, including direct involvement in the process of their election. This is part of the government's struggle against local authorities, a direct continuation of the authorities' struggle against the Arnona Fund established in the Arrangements Law.
The bonus here is that it is at the same time strengthening the rabbinate's monopoly and the complete takeover by the ultra-Orthodox parties of the appointment of rabbis in cities, moshavim, kibbutzim and neighborhoods.
These steps prove that it is impossible to sit on the sidelines and wait for the results from the president's house. The Judicial Appointments Commission, and even all changes in the judicial system, are not everything.
Issues of Judaism and state are frequently included in the ongoing work plan of senior coalition officials, and opposition should also be focused on them.
The writer is director of the Center for Judaism and State at the Hartman Institute
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us