Rabbi Haim Amsalem
Rabbi Haim AmsalemHezki Baruch

Rabbi Haim Amsalem, chairman of the Am Shalem movement, and founder of the International Conversion Court "Ahavat Hager" (Loving the Convert) on Monday morning attacked the decision of the Chief Rabbinical Council to cancel the list of courts whose conversions are recognized and to examine each conversion individually.

"The new decision of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel not to recognize the conversions of rabbis from foreign congregations, who are completely Orthodox halakhic rabbis, and to take on the authority not to recognize other conversions, which were not approved by it, is a decision that goes against what is written in the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law)," Rabbi Amsalem stated.

According to him, "conversion that is done according to the law and halakha (Jewish Law) cannot be revoked. Non-recognition by the Rabbinate is the same as its revocation, and the consequences of revoking conversion are very serious."

"This is another unfortunate decision that aims to bully and abuse converts. It goes against the Torah's warning against harming and abusing converts," Rabbi Amsalem claimed.

Rabbi Haim Amsalem called on all Zionist parties which care about the welfare of the Jewish people to put at the forefront the issue of the conversion problem concerning half a million "seed of Israel," descendants of Jewish ancestors who are not halakhically Jewish and who seek to join the Jewish people and are being rejected.

"Assimilation is a ticking time bomb and the establishment is only exacerbating the problem," he emphasized.