The Knesset on Tuesday approved a government-sponsored bill to expand the authority of the rabbinical courts by giving them the right to arbitrate civil disputes with the consent of both sides.
The law, which was sponsored by the United Torah Judaism and Shas parties, passed by a vote of 65-41 after a late-night debate.
The bill was condemned by opposition leader Yair Lapid.
“There is no longer a status quo on matters of religion and state,” he said. “There is a name for when rabbis receive the powers of a court: It’s called a halachic state,” using the Hebrew term for Jewish law.
United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni, who initiated the bill, said that the charge was baseless and cited the need for divine help during wartime.
“Especially during wartime, when we need salvation from [God], when two people wish to adjudicate monetary disputes according to Torah law with the consent of both sides—what is wrong with that?” he asked.
