Otzma Yehudit MK Proposes Bill to Redefine 'Who is a Jew'
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
Otzma Yehudit party MK Limor Son Har Melech has submitted a bill to amend Israel's Law of Return, seeking to define "who is a Jew" as someone born to a Jewish mother or converted according to Halakha. The proposal aims to override a 2021 Supreme Court decision that recognized Reform conversions for the law's purposes. The bill, supported by multiple Knesset members, will be further promoted in the coming days.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har Melech proposed a bill to redefine "who is a Jew" under the Law of Return.
- The bill seeks to require conversions to be "according to Halakha" (Jewish law).
- This legislation aims to counter a 2021 Supreme Court ruling recognizing Reform conversions.
- The Supreme Court ruling was led by President Esther Hayut and recognized non-Halakhic conversions.
- The bill has garnered support from multiple Knesset members and will be further promoted.
Just days after the 26th Knesset was sworn in, the Otzma Yehudit party has introduced a bill to amend the Law of Return, specifically targeting the definition of "who is a Jew." The proposed legislation, spearheaded by MK Limor Son Har Melech, aims to add the phrase "according to Halakha" (Jewish law) to the definition of a Jew in the Law of Return. This would stipulate that a Jew is someone born to a Jewish mother or converted according to Halakha.
The bill seeks to circumvent a 2021 Supreme Court ruling, headed by then-President Esther Hayut, which recognized Reform conversions for the purposes of the Law of Return. The court's decision, made after 15 years of petitions from Reform organizations and without legislative changes, stated that individuals who underwent non-Halakhic conversions could still be considered Jewish under the law. The Otzma Yehudit party intends to advance this bill in the current Knesset, as the previous government did not amend the law.
MK Son Har Melech plans to actively promote the bill in the coming days, gathering support from additional Knesset members across various factions to build broad backing for the legislative process.
