IDI on the Proposal to Overturn the Supreme Court Ruling on Mikveh Use

The proposed legislation was presented by Knesset Finance Committee head Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) and would require that mikvehs be run only in accordance with the directives of the ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate.

Ahead of discussion on Sunday by the Government Legislation Committee on the bill to overturn the ruling by the High Court of Justice earlier this month that requires religious councils to allow people undergoing Reform or Conservative conversion to use public mikvehs (Jewish ritual baths) as part of their conversion process, Yair Sheleg, head of the Israel Democracy Institute Religion & State Program, said we are talking about "an intolerable proposal."

Sheleg said, "Jews of all religious streams should have the right to use the services set up and maintained by the state with taxpayer money. This is the case for all services – including those set up by the state's religious services division, such as mikvehs. Therefore, the Supreme Court ruling on the matter is natural and clear. It is not a coincidence that there has been no negative reaction to the Supreme Court decision by other judges. Any attempt to bypass the court's decision or to cancel the ruling via legislation is unacceptable."

The proposed legislation was presented by Knesset Finance Committee head Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) and would require that mikvehs be run only in accordance with the directives of the ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate.