Towards a new Covenant on Religion and State in Israel

The elections for the 21st and 22nd Knesset were held against the backdrop of struggles on questions of religious and state, and growing unrest among large sections of the Israeli public on the current policy on the Jewish identity of the State of Israel.

Lack of identification with the rabbinical institutions, the crisis with Diaspora Jewry, challenges regarding questions and processes of conversion, the problematic behavior of the religious establishment towards FSU and Ethiopian immigrants and its e non-recognition of their Judaism, the “supermarket law”, gender discrimination, and ongoing poor treatment, condoned by the state, of Agunot (women whose husbands refuse them a divorce), all contribute to the growing alienation of Israelis towards the institution of the Chief Rabbinate .

The results of the current elections lead to the inevitable conclusion that there is an urgent need to amend the relationship between religion and state.

Civil society organizations tackling these issues have laid the foundations for a new status quo as the basis for new religion and state arrangements 

Participants include Chairman of Yisrael Beitenu party-- MK Avigdor Liberman, MK Hili Tropper, Blue White party and civil society organizations.