A GOVERNMENT IN DENIAL An analysis of the Summer Assembly of the Fourth Session of the 20th Knesset reveals a signifcant problem of governability, insofar as it relates to maters of religion and state in Israel, and which is manifested in the strengthening of the monopoly of the Rabbinate, passing the surrogacy law, rejectng civil unions for same-sex couples, and two ministers resigning from a commitee to avoid having to vote in favor of the renovaton of 'Azarat Israel', the egalitarian prayer area at the Western Wall. The disparity between the opinions expressed by MK’s and ministers in private conversatons and their actual votng behavior indicates at worst politcal failure and at best an abdicaton of responsibility. The Summer Assembly Defning Characteristcs In this concluding report on the Summer Assembly, we Western Wall, the Sabbath, kashrut, conversion, marriage have tried to identfy its defning characteristcs, with and divorce, and religious services in Israel. the help of segmentaton and analysis of more than 640 At the conclusion of the Winter Assembly, the heads of items of informaton that were gathered by the staf the coaliton factons published a leter in which they of The Jewish Pluralism Watch. We compiled our data undertook not to advance legislaton on maters of from more than 500 comments and remarks of Members religion and state, with the excepton of those already of the Knesset (MK’s) on maters of religion and state; pending in the Supreme Court, because the controversy 40 commitees and lobbies that met to discuss these surrounding these issues threatened the stability of the maters; 50 motons and parliamentary queries that coaliton. And indeed in this assembly there was a drop were submited to the Knesset, and 50 bills that were in the number of bills on explicitly religious topics such discussed or submited in the course of the Assembly that as the Sabbath, kashrut and conversion, although the dealt with the issues of gender and LGBT equality, the The Israel Defense Services Law which is pending in the 2 Summer Assembly - 2018 - the 20th Knesset Supreme Court, contnued to advance and even passed A Government under Pressure its frst reading in the Knesset plenum with the support of the Yesh Atd facton although opposed by the ultra- The low priority assigned to maters of religion and state Orthodox MK’s. The issue of the Western Wall and the by the large coaliton partners, to which we have become renovaton of 'Azarat Israel', the egalitarian prayer area, accustomed, combined with the power of veto of the rose onto the Knesset agenda afer the Prime Minister ultra-Orthodox partes has led to stagnaton and even decided to allocate funds for this purpose, and afer the regression in the advancement of these issues, which in resignaton of the members of the commitee responsible this assembly has reached a new level of absurdity. for the holy places. The Knesset passed the Naton- State Law which contains clauses directly touching on A survey conducted by the Dialogue Insttute for the the status of the relatonship between religion and state, Reform Movement found that 71%of Likud supporters and on pluralism and equality in Israel, such as the clauses support the state’s recogniton of all streams of Judaism relatng to the Sabbath and to the Diaspora, and a clause as opposed to 20% who are against. 66% of Likud encouraging Jewish setlement across Israel. supporters think that the state should invest “signifcant resources” in tes with the Diaspora. 63% reported that Eighteen bills concerning gender and LGBT issues were they would support civil marriage alongside traditonal advanced during the Summer Assembly, on maters marriage through the Rabbinate, with 30% against such as countering discriminaton against the LGBT and 7% with no opinion. 65% of Likud supporters community, adopton, surrogacy and parentng, and civil unions for same-sex couples. More details will appear would support limited operaton of public transport on further on in this report. Saturdays that would avoid passing through areas with a religious majority. Here as well, about a third – 29% - of This report is also accompanied by a tme line, from the the respondents, expressed oppositon, and 7% had no start of the winter recess in March untl the end of the opinion. Summer Assembly on Tisha B’Av, July 22, 2018, along which the most signifcant recent events in the Knesset The events that we cover in this report will point to on the issues of state and religion, pluralism, and equality a trend where government ministers and Knesset are laid out. Members abandon their declared and explicit support for MK Bezalel Smotrich at a meetng of the Chotam organizaton on “The Jewish Family” and against gay families: “We must decide if The Labor, Welfare and Health Commitee convened the State of Israel’s existence will to discuss a government law to extend eligibility be based on a distorted and sick for surrogacy to single mothers, while maintaining set of values or on foundatons of discriminaton against the LGBT community. (Read justce and morality.” (Read more) more) 14.3.2018 10.4.2018 30.4.2018 1.5.2018 The Finance Commitee convened to The “Jewish Law” bill introduced prepare a draf of MK’s Aliza Lavie and by MK Nissan Slomiansky Miki Zohar’s bill which seeks to enable passed its second and third secular workers to refuse to work on the readings. The proposal had Sabbath. (Read more) been modifed following critcism from the coaliton. (Read more) Summer Assembly - 2018 - the 20th Knesset 3 Jewish pluralism in favor of maintaining the stability of wars and security issues but no longer. The real discussion the coaliton, which is threatened by the ultra-Orthodox which we have to have is what will happen and what the factons in the Knesset, by votng tme and again and next ten years will be like untl the dismantling of the against the wishes of their electorate, against any Rabbinate’s monopoly.” legislaton or decision which would advance this cause. MK Rachel Azaria also addressed the annual AJC Global Jewish Advocacy Forum which took place this year in The Monopoly of the Rabbinate Jerusalem: “We are working towards dismantling the monopoly of the On June 11, 2018, the Commitee for Immigraton, Rabbinate, but it won’t be easy. It will take us a decade, Absorpton and Diaspora Afairs discussed Jewish but it will happen.” pluralism in the Diaspora. A delegaton of the Jewish Religious Equality Coaliton (JREC) partcipated in the Just one week afer she called to dismantle the Rabbinate’s meetng. The main oppositon MK’s who were present monopoly, MK Azaria actually strengthened the rabbinical pointed out the wide disparity between the positon of the courts when, in a meetng of the Consttuton, Law and majority of the Israeli public regarding Jewish pluralism in Justce Commitee which took place on June 19, 2018, Israel, and actual legislaton, in light of the MK’s conduct she voted in favor of awarding the Israeli rabbinical in these areas. MK Rachel Azaria of the Kulanu party courts internatonal jurisdicton in maters of divorce: which is a member of the coaliton, said that there is no “We do not want to create another opening for blacklists correlaton between public opinion and actual legislaton (which lists who is halachically forbidden from marrying). on these issues, and called to dismantle the monopoly of The courts must not be allowed to assume illegitmate the Rabbinate: authority, and we have reached a soluton that reduces the “Most Israelis do not respect the Rabbinate and do not possibility of them also taking jurisdicton over property wish to marry within it. Diaspora Jewry feels exactly disputes, custody disputes, etc. We do not wish to say that what Israeli society feels and wishes to see a change, but the Israeli court supersedes any other court in the world. the existng politcal structure does not allow this. As a I believe in the rabbinical court. We are the country in country, we have been preoccupied for a long tme with which there should not be even one woman who has been The Knesset plenum approved the frst reading of the bill, “Basic Law: Israel The Ministerial Commitee for Legislaton as the Naton-State of the approved MK Bezalel Smotrich’s bill Jewish People” introduced seeking to add an “overriding clause” by MK Avi Dichter. to the Basic Law: Human Dignity and (Read more) Liberty. (Read more) 1.5.2018 2.5.2018 6.5.2018 6.5.2018 MK Aliza Lavie’s bill proposing to The State announced that the elect female public representatves rabbinical courts will appoint “profcient in Jewish law” to the women as legal counsel for the rabbinical courts is submited to the frst tme in the history of this state Knesset. (Read more) insttuton. MK Aliza Lavie: “This is an important step toward creatng an egalitarian and more atentve system.” (Read more) 4 Summer Assembly - 2018 - the 20th Knesset refused a divorce by her husband and I hope for contnuing The Prime Minister pledged his support for such a law cooperaton.” in the future, but did not seek to amend the present discriminatory law. The Surrogacy Law The Knesset voted on the Surrogacy Law in the last On July 9, 2018, the Labor, Welfare and Health Commitee plenary session of the Summer Assembly on July 18, discussed expanding the Surrogacy Law to include 2018. MK Elie Elalouf who presented the law explained single women, without however extending eligibility to that under the present constellaton of politcal factons in single men and LGBT couples.