Yair Lapid and Shelly Yachimovich Call for More Religious Pluralism

By JTA November 11, 2013

Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Labor Party Chairwoman Shelly Yachimovich called for greater religious pluralism in Israel.

Speaking in separate appearances Monday at a plenary session of the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly in Jerusalem, Lapid and Yachimovich both advocated for the loosening of Orthodox control of Israel’s religious laws.

Yachimovich stressed the need to reform the state’s marriage laws, which grant exclusive control over Jewish marriage in Israel to the Orthodox-dominated Chief Rabbinate.

Lapid’s Yesh Atid party, a member of the governing coalition, promised ahead of elections this year that it would fight for marriage reform and submitted a bill last month to institute civil unions, including for same-sex couples.

“I truly believe this is ridiculous that the State of Israel is the only place in the Western world where Jews do not have freedom of religion,” Lapid said at the plenary. “Women must be allowed to pray wearing prayer shawls. We should equalize Reform, Conservative and Orthodox. It’s very important to us that Israel would be pluralistic.”

The Modern Orthodox Jewish Home Party, also a coalition member, is expected to veto the measure.

In her speech, Yachimovich said Labor was preparing to submit its own bill to institute civil marriage, including same-sex marriage.

“We currently have a unique opportunity,” said Yachimovich, leader of the Knesset’s opposition parties. “Parties in the coalition and opposition are capable of joining forces to pass this law.”

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO