Otzma Yehudit Party Seeks to Amend Law of Return Definition of 'Jew'
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
The Otzma Yehudit party has proposed amending Israel's Law of Return to require conversions to Judaism to be performed "according to Halakha" for legal recognition. Member of Knesset Limor Son Har Melech is leading the effort to gather support for the bill. The proposed change aims to redefine who qualifies as a Jew under the law based on conversion practices.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Otzma Yehudit party proposed amending the Law of Return's definition of 'Jew'.
- The bill requires conversions to be performed 'according to Halakha' for recognition.
- MK Limor Son Har Melech is spearheading the legislative initiative.
- The amendment focuses on the recognition of conversions under the Law of Return.
- The party seeks broad Knesset support for the proposed legislation.
The Otzma Yehudit party has initiated legislative action in the 26th Knesset by proposing a bill to amend the definition of "who is a Jew" within the Law of Return. The proposed amendment, spearheaded by Member of Knesset Limor Son Har Melech, aims to explicitly stipulate that conversion to Judaism for recognition under the Law of Return must be performed "according to Halakha" (Jewish law).
The core of the proposal focuses on a specific alteration to the Law of Return's wording, seeking to add the phrase "according to Halakha" to the definition of a Jew. Under the revised text advocated by the party, a Jew would be defined as someone born to a Jewish mother and not belonging to another religion, or someone who has undergone conversion "according to Halakha."
The amendment specifically targets the recognition of conversions for the purpose of defining a person's Jewishness under the Law of Return, aiming to legally anchor the requirement for conversions to be performed in accordance with Halakha. According to a statement from the party, Son Har Melech will continue to work in the coming days to advance the proposal and gather additional signatures from fellow Knesset members to build broad support for the legislative process.
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