During a discussion in the government today on a report regarding "The Future of the Jewish People", members of the ultra-secularist Shinui party attacked what they called the Orthodox and Chief Rabbinate's "conversion monopoly". Minister Lapid (Shinui) said that American intellectual Jews are being driven away from support for Israel because of the State's non-recognition of Reform and Conservative rabbis for any official purposes.
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom reacted, saying: "It is tiring to hear your attacks on Judaism all the time. Judaism is not a missionary religion and acceptance to it is not a simple matter - besides, reform and conservative conversions are already recognized by the State of Israel. How many people in Israel actually want reform conversions."
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon berated the Shinui ministers saying, "If you entered a mosque, you would remove your shoes," to which the ministers responded that if they went into a synagogue they would cover their heads as well.
Tensions escalated, with Lapid calling Shalom "an anti-Semite". To which Shalom responded, "An anti-Semite? You are a racist and a clown; you're entire party is based on racism. It is unbelievable that a minister in the Israeli government can have the nerve to call another minister an anti-Semite."
The two ministers later expressed remorse and withdrew their offensive comments.
However, Lapid is still the subject of a demand by Knesset Member Yisrael Eichler (United Torah Judaism) that the Justice Minister be dismissed for comments Eichler said were made over the weekend.
According to MK Eichler, speaking in Tel Aviv, Lapid called the Haredim (ultra-Orthodox Jews) the greatest enemy of the secular public.
In a letter to Prime Minister Sharon, MK Eichler demanded that Lapid be fired, writing: "He who defines Jews as enemies essentially calls to fight against them with blood and fire. At a time when there is a sharpening of the swords between the secular and religious sectors over the plan to transfer Jews from Gush Katif and Samaria, the Minister of Justice is spreading gunpowder around Tel Aviv and preparing the voters of Shinui for pogroms and hostile acts against religious Jews, beginning with the Haredim and ending with the religious Zionists."
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom reacted, saying: "It is tiring to hear your attacks on Judaism all the time. Judaism is not a missionary religion and acceptance to it is not a simple matter - besides, reform and conservative conversions are already recognized by the State of Israel. How many people in Israel actually want reform conversions."
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon berated the Shinui ministers saying, "If you entered a mosque, you would remove your shoes," to which the ministers responded that if they went into a synagogue they would cover their heads as well.
Tensions escalated, with Lapid calling Shalom "an anti-Semite". To which Shalom responded, "An anti-Semite? You are a racist and a clown; you're entire party is based on racism. It is unbelievable that a minister in the Israeli government can have the nerve to call another minister an anti-Semite."
The two ministers later expressed remorse and withdrew their offensive comments.
However, Lapid is still the subject of a demand by Knesset Member Yisrael Eichler (United Torah Judaism) that the Justice Minister be dismissed for comments Eichler said were made over the weekend.
According to MK Eichler, speaking in Tel Aviv, Lapid called the Haredim (ultra-Orthodox Jews) the greatest enemy of the secular public.
In a letter to Prime Minister Sharon, MK Eichler demanded that Lapid be fired, writing: "He who defines Jews as enemies essentially calls to fight against them with blood and fire. At a time when there is a sharpening of the swords between the secular and religious sectors over the plan to transfer Jews from Gush Katif and Samaria, the Minister of Justice is spreading gunpowder around Tel Aviv and preparing the voters of Shinui for pogroms and hostile acts against religious Jews, beginning with the Haredim and ending with the religious Zionists."