Government bill · 25th Knesset · published as law 5 December 2024
חוק הרבנות הראשית לישראל (תיקון מס' 8), התשפ"ה-2024Law Chief Rabbinate of Israel (Amendment No. 8), 2024 · automatic translation · suggest a correction
Status: התקבלה בקריאה שלישית
Topics: Religion and state* · * from the Knesset's official law classification
Official summary of the law (Knesset)
The Law makes changes to the composition of the electoral assembly for the Chief Rabbis and the Chief Rabbinate Council. The Law defines a "rabbi" who may be appointed within the 10 rabbis appointed to the electoral assembly by the Chief Rabbis, as a rabbi who is ordained by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel or a rabbi holding a certificate of qualification to serve as a city rabbi, regional rabbi, moshav rabbi, or neighborhood rabbi. In addition, a minimum threshold was set for the appointment of women as public representatives from each of the groups represented in the electoral assembly, and a mechanism was established for cases in which there are not enough women serving in positions within said groups. In addition, arrangements regarding conflicts of interest were established. Finally, it was determined that starting from the elections to be held after the upcoming elections for the Chief Rabbinate Council, the definitions of officeholders who are members of the electoral assembly will also apply to those holding this position in Judea and Samaria.
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Hebrew original
החוק עורך שינויים בהרכב האסיפה הבוחרת לרבנים הראשיים ולמועצת הרבנות הראשית. החוק מגדיר כי "רב" שניתן למנותו במסגרת 10 הרבנים שממונים לאסיפה הבוחרת על ידי הרבנים הראשיים, הוא רב שמוסמך לרבנות מטעם הרבנות הראשית לישראל או רב שבידו תעודת כשירות לכהונת רב עיר, רב אזורי, רב מושב או רב שכונה. כמו כן, נקבע רף מינימלי למינוי של נשים לנציגות ציבור, מכל אחת מהקבוצות המיוצגות באסיפה הבוחרת ומנגנון למקרים שבהם אין מספיק נשים שמשמשות בתפקידים בקבוצות האמורות. בנוסף, נקבעו הסדרים בנושא ניגוד עניינים. לבסוף, נקבע כי החל מהבחירות שיתקיימו אחרי הבחירות הקרובות למועצת הרבנות הראשית, הגדרות בעלי התפקידים שחברים באסיפה הבוחרת, יחולו גם לגבי מי שממלא תפקיד זה ביהודה ושומרון.
Readings
- 29 September 2024 · First readingהצעת חוק הרבנות הראשית לישראל (תיקון מס' 8) (הרכב האסיפה הבוחרת), התשפ"ד-2024Bill of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel (Amendment No. 8) (Composition of the Electoral Assembly), 2024autoBill passed first reading22 for · 12 against
- 4 December 2024 · Third readingהצעת חוק הרבנות הראשית לישראל (תיקון מס' 8), התשפ"ה-2024Bill Chief Rabbinate of Israel (Amendment No. 8), 2024autoLaw passed32 for · 7 against
What was said in the plenum
The law amends the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Law so that the definition of "rabbi" for the composition of the electing assembly will be determined solely by the Chief Rabbinate, in response to a High Court of Justice ruling that required considering the appointment of women as rabbis within the ten representatives appointed by the Chief Rabbis; it also increases women's representation among the public representatives in the electing body, includes rabbis and heads of authorities from Judea and Samaria, and establishes arrangements to prevent conflicts of interest. The debate focused mainly on whether the law circumvents the High Court ruling and excludes women Torah scholars from the definition of "rabbi," alongside general opposition by some speakers to the coalition legislation passed that day and to the government's priorities in general.
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Hebrew original
החוק מתקן את חוק הרבנות הראשית לישראל כך שהגדרת "רב" לצורך הרכב האספה הבוחרת תיקבע על ידי הרבנות הראשית בלבד, בתגובה לפסיקת בג"ץ שחייבה לשקול מינוי נשים כרבנים במסגרת עשרת הנציגים שממנים הרבנים הראשיים; הוא גם מגדיל את הייצוג הנשי בקרב נציגי הציבור בגוף הבוחר, מכליל רבנים וראשי רשויות מיהודה ושומרון, וקובע הסדרים למניעת ניגוד עניינים. הדיון נסב בעיקר על השאלה האם החוק עוקף פסיקת בג"ץ ומדיר נשים תלמידות חכמים מהגדרת "רב", לצד התנגדות כללית של חלק מהדוברים לחקיקה הקואליציונית באותו יום ולסדר העדיפויות של הממשלה בכלל.
Arguments for
- Only the Chief Rabbinate, and not the court, is authorized to determine who is a rabbi, and therefore the definition should be returned to its hands in order to correct what is perceived as an overreach by the Supreme Court beyond its authority.Yakov Margi, Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism)
- The law significantly increases women's representation in the electing body through public representatives (about 42%), so that although the "rabbi" reservation will not apply to women, their actual representation increases.Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism)
- The law corrects a historical wrong by including, for the first time, heads of local authorities, rabbis, and representatives from Judea and Samaria in the composition of the electing body.Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism)
- The law establishes arrangements to prevent conflicts of interest, so that a person cannot vote for himself or a family member running for the position.Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism)
Arguments against
- The law constitutes a law circumventing the Supreme Court, intended to prevent the implementation of an explicit ruling that required considering the appointment of women Torah scholars to the electing body.Gilad Kariv (Labor), Merav Michaeli (Labor)
- The law effectively excludes women greatly learned in Torah and orthodox female halachic authorities from the definition of "rabbi" and prevents their participation in selecting the Chief Rabbinate based on their halachic knowledge, contrary to the revolution occurring in the status of women in the Torah world.Gilad Kariv (Labor), Merav Michaeli (Labor)
- This is legislation being made in the middle of election proceedings and changing the rules mid-process, which harms equality and fair play.Gilad Kariv (Labor)
- The law was presented as a compromise, but even the bill itself does not provide equal representation for women (only 42%), so even the legislators do not meet the standard they demand.Moshe Turpaz (Yesh Atid)
Who spoke (23)
| Member | Faction | Readings | Speeches | In the final vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakov Margi | — | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Merav Ben Ari | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading, Third reading | 2 | against |
| Matti Sarfatti Harcavi | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading, Third reading | 2 | no record |
| Avichay Avraham Buaron | Likud coalition | First reading | 1 | for |
| Amit Halevi | Likud coalition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Gilad Kariv | Labor opposition | First reading, Third reading | 3 | against |
| Merav Michaeli | Labor opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Simcha Rothman | Religious Zionism coalition | Third reading | 2 | for |
| Meir Cohen | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | no record |
| Mickey Levy | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 2 | against |
| Meirav Cohen | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | no record |
| Ram Ben Barak | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | no record |
| Yoav Segalovitz | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | no record |
| Michal Shir Segman | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | no record |
| Yorai Lahav Hertzanu | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | no record |
| Tatiana Mazarsky | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | no record |
| Yasmin Fridman | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | no record |
| Moshe Turpaz | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | against |
| Simon Davidson | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | no record |
| Naor Shiri | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | against |
| Shelly Tal Meron | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | no record |
| Yaron Levi | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | no record |
| Naama Lazimi | Labor opposition | Third reading | 1 | against |
An automatic summary of the plenum transcripts: the debate on the bill at every reading it was voted on. Arguments are given as the speakers made them; this is not an assessment. The list of speakers comes from the transcript, without a model. Transcripts of the sittings: 1, 2
Reservations to the second reading
297 reservations were filed: proposed changes to the text the committee brought to the second and third reading.
The reservations mainly seek to increase women's representation and gender and sectoral equality in the Chief Rabbinate's institutions, to broaden and make more flexible the eligibility requirements for rabbinic office, to add transparency and public oversight mechanisms for elections and appointments, and to delete or postpone some of the proposed law's provisions.
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Hebrew original
ההסתייגויות מבקשות בעיקר להגביר את ייצוג הנשים ושוויון מגדרי ועדתי במוסדות הרבנות הראשית, להרחיב ולגמש את דרישות הכשירות לכהונה רבנית, להוסיף מנגנוני שקיפות ופיקוח ציבורי על בחירות ומינויים, ולמחוק או לדחות חלק מהוראות החוק המוצע.
By faction
- Labor opposition · 270 reservations · 4 members
- Yesh Atid opposition · 207 reservations · 24 members
- National Unity opposition · 13 reservations · 8 members
- Ra'am opposition · 10 reservations · 5 members
- Yisrael Beytenu opposition · 4 reservations · 6 members
A joint reservation counts for every faction whose members filed it.
Who proposed what
- העבודה · 270The reservations seek to increase the number of women and their representation on the Chief Rabbinate Council and appointing bodies, to add a category of "halakha woman," and to expand the list of cities in which city rabbis will be elected.Sections: לפני סעיף 1, לסעיף 1, לסעיף 2, לסעיף 3
- יש עתיד · 207The reservations seek to implement gender and sectoral equality in the Rabbinate's institutions, to expand recognition of types of eligibility for the rabbinate (including women and academic degrees), and to add transparency and public oversight mechanisms for appointments and examinations.Sections: לפני סעיף 1, לסעיף 1, לסעיף 2, לסעיף 3Yair Lapid, Meir Cohen, Karine Elharrar, Meirav Cohen, Elazar Stern, Mickey Levy, Merav Ben Ari, Ram Ben Barak, Yoav Segalovitz, Boaz Toporovsky, Michal Shir Segman, Idan Roll, Yorai Lahav Hertzanu, Vladimir Beliak, Ron Katz, Matti Sarfatti Harcavi, Tatiana Mazarsky, Yasmin Fridman, Debbie Biton, Moshe Turpaz, Simon Davidson, Naor Shiri, Shelly Tal Meron, Yaron Levi
- המחנה הממלכתי · 13The reservations seek to significantly increase the representation of women in rabbinate institutions, to the point of a female majority in some bodies, and to set an earlier start date for the law.Sections: לסעיף 2, לאחרי סעיף 4
- רע״ם · 10The reservations seek to ease the eligibility requirements for the rabbinate, to allow recognition of qualifications not granted by the Chief Rabbinate, and to increase representation and gender equality on appointment committees.Sections: לסעיף 1, לסעיף 2
- ישראל ביתנו · 4The reservations seek to delete key sections of the bill and to postpone the law's commencement until the upcoming elections for the Chief Rabbinate Council, as well as to ensure women's representation in the appointing bodies.Sections: לסעיף 1, לסעיף 2, לסעיף 3, לסעיף 4
Asked to speak: Ayman Odeh (Hadash–Ta'al), Ahmad Tibi (Hadash–Ta'al), Aida Touma Sliman (Hadash–Ta'al), Ofer Cassif (Hadash–Ta'al), Youssef Atauna (Hadash–Ta'al)
Proposers and reservation numbers are extracted automatically from the committee version, and the count is checked against the numbers printed in it. The descriptions are an automatic summary. Committee version for the second and third reading (PDF)
Reservations, sections and other votes (1)
In order. Votes on reservations and individual sections are shown separately from the vote on the bill as a whole.
- 4 December 2024 · Second reading · סעיפים 1-4הצעת חוק הרבנות הראשית לישראל (תיקון מס' 8), התשפ"ה-2024Bill Chief Rabbinate of Israel (Amendment No. 8), 2024auto32 for · 7 againstVote on sections of the bill