In my book, "A Summation of the Jewish state – Rabbi Ovadia Yoef and President Aharon Barak," which was published 16 years ago, I argued that the day would arrive, and soon, when there would be a war over the identity of the state. A war between those for whom Israel is a Jewish state and those who want a state of all its citizens.
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In their decision on conversions, like other rulings, the High Court justices proved what most citizens have already understood, which is that they – along with the media and the left-wing parties – have embraced the concept of a state for all citizens and are increasing domestic polarization, causing fraternal hatred, and doing everything they can to detach the Jewish state we know from what it used to be. In addition, the ruling comprises another contribution from them to the upcoming election campaign, reminiscent of another contribution made by Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit in the last election.
In his poem "The Jews," Yehuda Amichai writes that "The Jews are not a historical people / And not even an archaeological people, the Jews / Are a geological people with rifts … Their history must be measured / On a different scale." Jewish existence is indeed a wonder of the world. We did not return home after a torturous 2,000-year-old journey so that members of foreign faiths could undergo an expedited conversion process and enjoy the benefits of the Law of Return and make it easier to handle the nature population growth of the religious and Haredi sectors. Converts from the Reform Movement in the US are not waiting in line to make aliyah, so the ruling does not affect them. Reform rabbis want recognition, and to get it, they are willing to undo the delicate fabric that allows for coexistence in Israeli society.
Conversion, or joining the Jewish people, is a halachic term. There is no other way of joining the people of Israel. Entrance tests sometimes pose a dilemma, especially for those who think that anyone who feels Jewish, or serves in the IDF, is Jewish. In their opinion, joining the Jewish people is easier than getting into a Tel Aviv club. At a conference with Reform Jews in the US, I was challenged with the question, "Who is a Jew?" My answer was, "Whoever will have Jewish grandchildren." The audience immediately understood my message and calmed down.
There are two main issues that must remain in the hands of the rabbinate to ensure the future and cohesion of the people: divorce and conversion. Other matters are important, as well, but they have no existential significance for the future of the people. The moment the matter of conversions in Israel are privatized, there will be a need to go back to the time of the Mandate and keep books of family trees. I am certain that most of the public realizes that uniform conversion is a small price to pay for keeping the people whole. At the same time, the rabbinical establishment must accept that there is a price to pay for maintaining a monopoly on conversion. We are living in wondrous times. The return to Zion has exceptional metaphysical and theological meanings. It is time for us to climb out of the positions into which we climbed while in exile. We need to take the Beit Hillel approach, which made a major contribution to the laws on conversion.
Despite the criticism, it is important to thank the High Court for underscoring what the upcoming election is really about. PR advisors have engineered an atmosphere that the election is a referendum on Netanyahu – yes or no. But the truth is different. The election is about the state's future, security, and path. I hope that the election will be decisive and the Knesset will be able to exercise its responsibility for the future of the people.
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