Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Activists slam delay in dayanim postings
Feminists and human rights activists slammed yesterday the continued deferment of the appointment of rabbinic dayanim, or religious court judges.
The committee for appointment of dayanim, headed by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, was supposed to appoint eight new dayanim yesterday. However, the treasury informed the committee it would approve a budget for only six new positions, and the decision was pushed off to a later date.
It is unclear whether the treasury will agree to increase that number, and therefore the appointment may be delayed for many more months.
"If the same kind of foot-dragging were employed in the appointment of [secular] judges, the country would be in an uproar," said Reform Rabbi Gilad Kariv from the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC).
Dr. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, of the Ruth and Emmanuel Rackman Center for the Advancement of Women at Bar-Ilan University, said, "Again an opportunity has been missed to appoint dayanim with a legal education and who exhibit fairness toward women."
Over the past two months, the committee's ultra-Orthodox faction has been in the minority, as Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger is barred from participating in discussions while waiting to be served an indictment over a discount he received at a Jerusalem hotel.
However, as MK Haim Ramon (Labor) refuses to support the appointment of rabbis who are not ultra-Orthodox, in actuality the committee is split evenly.
The rabbinic courts are the only legal institution in Israel authorized to grant divorces to Jewish couples. The courts also make decisions in all matters pertaining to the personal status of Jews, including adoption, alimony and the Jewish status of new immigrants.
For more than a year, the committee's ultra-Orthodox members have been fighting the secular and national-religious members, who wish to appoint two judges with legal training and a lenient approach to women's issues. The move is broadly supported by social justice and feminist organizations, as well as the Reform Movement in Israel.
The ultra-Orthodox members want to appoint only dayanim who meet the approval of Shas and Degel Hatorah leaders, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef and Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, respectively. Agudat Yisrael is demanding an additional dayan to represent Hasidic Judaism.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/616814.html
Feminists and human rights activists slammed yesterday the continued deferment of the appointment of rabbinic dayanim, or religious court judges.
The committee for appointment of dayanim, headed by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, was supposed to appoint eight new dayanim yesterday. However, the treasury informed the committee it would approve a budget for only six new positions, and the decision was pushed off to a later date.
It is unclear whether the treasury will agree to increase that number, and therefore the appointment may be delayed for many more months.
"If the same kind of foot-dragging were employed in the appointment of [secular] judges, the country would be in an uproar," said Reform Rabbi Gilad Kariv from the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC).
Dr. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, of the Ruth and Emmanuel Rackman Center for the Advancement of Women at Bar-Ilan University, said, "Again an opportunity has been missed to appoint dayanim with a legal education and who exhibit fairness toward women."
Over the past two months, the committee's ultra-Orthodox faction has been in the minority, as Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger is barred from participating in discussions while waiting to be served an indictment over a discount he received at a Jerusalem hotel.
However, as MK Haim Ramon (Labor) refuses to support the appointment of rabbis who are not ultra-Orthodox, in actuality the committee is split evenly.
The rabbinic courts are the only legal institution in Israel authorized to grant divorces to Jewish couples. The courts also make decisions in all matters pertaining to the personal status of Jews, including adoption, alimony and the Jewish status of new immigrants.
For more than a year, the committee's ultra-Orthodox members have been fighting the secular and national-religious members, who wish to appoint two judges with legal training and a lenient approach to women's issues. The move is broadly supported by social justice and feminist organizations, as well as the Reform Movement in Israel.
The ultra-Orthodox members want to appoint only dayanim who meet the approval of Shas and Degel Hatorah leaders, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef and Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, respectively. Agudat Yisrael is demanding an additional dayan to represent Hasidic Judaism.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/616814.html
Comments:
Post a Comment
