MK Dr. Aliza Lavie (Yesh Atid) said on Sunday that her party supports the candidacy of Rabbi David Stav as the Chief Rabbi of Israel, because there is a need to restore the public’s confidence in the institution of the Chief Rabbinate.

“In many cases, the Chief Rabbinate is a distancing body which causes resistance rather than partnership,” said Lavie. “It is an entity which is regarded as one whose top priority is religious bureaucracy and payment vouchers and not the provision of services and values​​.”

She added, “Rabbi Stav has worked for years to match the halakha to social reality and does not seek to withdraw from this reality. The Chief Rabbinate should be returned to the Israelis. Rabbi Stav is the best person at this moment in time for the position of Chief Rabbi of Israel.”