HadassahSukkot
20th November 2006, 04:52 PM
Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar on Monday proposed amending the Law of Return so that converts to all streams of Judaism - Reform, Conservative and Orthodox - will no longer be eligible for automatic Israeli citizenship.
If Amar's bill is passed, only Jews born to a Jewish mother or other relatives of Jews currently included in the Law of Return will be entitled to automatic citizenship.
"Over the last 10 years the concept of 'conversion' has lost its religious meaning," wrote the drafters of the amendment backed by Amar. "It has instead become a means of immigration, through which non-Jews seek automatic Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return without any intention of becoming a part of the Jewish people. "This draft bill proposes…that conversions - Orthodox, Conservative or Reform - will no longer give the convert an automatic right to citizenship. Rather, the convert will be allowed to naturalize in accordance with object criteria of citizenship."
[more at link] http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1162378443249&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Oy...
If Amar's bill is passed, only Jews born to a Jewish mother or other relatives of Jews currently included in the Law of Return will be entitled to automatic citizenship.
"Over the last 10 years the concept of 'conversion' has lost its religious meaning," wrote the drafters of the amendment backed by Amar. "It has instead become a means of immigration, through which non-Jews seek automatic Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return without any intention of becoming a part of the Jewish people. "This draft bill proposes…that conversions - Orthodox, Conservative or Reform - will no longer give the convert an automatic right to citizenship. Rather, the convert will be allowed to naturalize in accordance with object criteria of citizenship."
[more at link] http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1162378443249&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Oy...