For the first time since the national elections over eight months ago, a genuine government crisis is in the offing. National Religious Party leader Effie Eitam said he would recommend to the party's Central Committee to vote to leave the government, in light of today's decision to place the Rabbinical Courts under the jurisdiction of Shinui leader Tommy Lapid's Justice Ministry.
The Chief Rabbis and NRP leaders went to sleep last night confident in the promise by Prime Minister Sharon that, despite the imminent dismantling of the Religious Affairs Ministry, the Rabbinical Courts would remain under Chief Rabbinate jurisdiction. This morning, however, when Lapid heard about it, he reared up on his hind legs and threatened to quit the government over the issue. Sharon, according to Shinui sources, received the distinct impression that Lapid, well known for his anti-religious views, was quite serious. The Prime Minister interrupted this morning's Cabinet meeting to meet separately with the five Shinui ministers, and by the end of the mini-meeting, the decision had been overturned in Shinui's favor.
The full Cabinet then stormily debated the issue early this afternoon, finally voting overwhelmingly in favor of the dismantling of the Religious Affairs Ministry by Dec. 31, 2002, and the transfer of the Rabbinical Courts to the Justice Ministry. Only Ministers Elon, Lieberman and Landau voted against, while the NRP ministers walked out before the vote. Lapid said this was an important step in the "secular revolution."
Prime Minister Sharon offered the NRP a "compromise," to the effect that the Courts will still be somehow "connected" to the Chief Rabbinate. The nature of the "connection" was not specified, nor was the status of the Chief Rabbinate - specifically, the Ministry to which it will be connected - and these will be determined by a special committee.
NRP Ministers Eitam and Zevulun Orlev, rebuffing Sharon's "compromise," left the session in disgust before the vote, saying they could not "sit in a Jewish government that strikes out against the Chief Rabbinate." Orlev said, "This is like giving authority over the Defense Ministry to Ahmed Tibi." The NRP says it cannot accept a situation in which the anti-religious Lapid has the final say on the appointment of Rabbinical Court judges.
The NRP, whose Rabbi Yitzchak Levy currently heads the Religious Affairs Ministry, wants the Rabbinate and Courts to be under the Prime Minister's Office. As it currently stands, the Rabbinical Courts are an independent judicial entity acting under the auspices of the Religious Affairs Ministry.
The NRP, the United Torah Judaism party and the Chief Rabbis are united in their demand to ensure that the independence of the Rabbinical Courts is not compromised. Chief Rabbi Amar, the Rishon LeTzion, called the decision a "war against religion in Israel" - and threatened to resign his position if the decision is not changed. Rabbi Metzger said that the entire hareidi public would "rise up in united opposition" to the blow at the honor of the Rabbinical Courts.
NRP leaders are meeting this evening with Chief Rabbis Shlomo Amar and Yonah Metzger. Sharon met earlier this afternoon with Rabbi Amar, and asked him not to resign.
The Chief Rabbis and NRP leaders went to sleep last night confident in the promise by Prime Minister Sharon that, despite the imminent dismantling of the Religious Affairs Ministry, the Rabbinical Courts would remain under Chief Rabbinate jurisdiction. This morning, however, when Lapid heard about it, he reared up on his hind legs and threatened to quit the government over the issue. Sharon, according to Shinui sources, received the distinct impression that Lapid, well known for his anti-religious views, was quite serious. The Prime Minister interrupted this morning's Cabinet meeting to meet separately with the five Shinui ministers, and by the end of the mini-meeting, the decision had been overturned in Shinui's favor.
The full Cabinet then stormily debated the issue early this afternoon, finally voting overwhelmingly in favor of the dismantling of the Religious Affairs Ministry by Dec. 31, 2002, and the transfer of the Rabbinical Courts to the Justice Ministry. Only Ministers Elon, Lieberman and Landau voted against, while the NRP ministers walked out before the vote. Lapid said this was an important step in the "secular revolution."
Prime Minister Sharon offered the NRP a "compromise," to the effect that the Courts will still be somehow "connected" to the Chief Rabbinate. The nature of the "connection" was not specified, nor was the status of the Chief Rabbinate - specifically, the Ministry to which it will be connected - and these will be determined by a special committee.
NRP Ministers Eitam and Zevulun Orlev, rebuffing Sharon's "compromise," left the session in disgust before the vote, saying they could not "sit in a Jewish government that strikes out against the Chief Rabbinate." Orlev said, "This is like giving authority over the Defense Ministry to Ahmed Tibi." The NRP says it cannot accept a situation in which the anti-religious Lapid has the final say on the appointment of Rabbinical Court judges.
The NRP, whose Rabbi Yitzchak Levy currently heads the Religious Affairs Ministry, wants the Rabbinate and Courts to be under the Prime Minister's Office. As it currently stands, the Rabbinical Courts are an independent judicial entity acting under the auspices of the Religious Affairs Ministry.
The NRP, the United Torah Judaism party and the Chief Rabbis are united in their demand to ensure that the independence of the Rabbinical Courts is not compromised. Chief Rabbi Amar, the Rishon LeTzion, called the decision a "war against religion in Israel" - and threatened to resign his position if the decision is not changed. Rabbi Metzger said that the entire hareidi public would "rise up in united opposition" to the blow at the honor of the Rabbinical Courts.
NRP leaders are meeting this evening with Chief Rabbis Shlomo Amar and Yonah Metzger. Sharon met earlier this afternoon with Rabbi Amar, and asked him not to resign.