Lawmakers from Yisrael Beytenu have submitted new legislation that would overhaul Israel’s Chief Rabbinate by replacing the current system of two Chief Rabbis with a single officeholder, Arutz Sheva reports. The bill was introduced by MKs Avigdor Lieberman, Oded Forer, Evgeny Sova, Sharon Nir, and Hamad Amar.

Under the proposal, multiple sections of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Law would be revised. Among the key changes are redefining the position from “the Chief Rabbis of Israel” to “the Chief Rabbi of Israel,” eliminating the provision that permits two candidates to be elected simultaneously, and formally assigning the Chief Rabbi to serve both as head of the Chief Rabbinate Council and as president of the Great Rabbinical Court.

In the explanatory notes attached to the bill, its backers contend that maintaining two Chief Rabbis is no longer justified and stems from an approach that no longer reflects Israeli reality.

“In recent years, a public debate has arisen regarding the need for dual Chief Rabbis in Israel. In the view of many, this duplication is superfluous and expresses anachronistic concepts of separate representation for ‘Ashkenazim’ and ‘Sephardim,’” the sponsors wrote.

They further argued that demographic and social changes in the country warrant a structural update to the institution. “Now, after decades of the ingathering of exiles in the State of Israel, the time has come to adapt the institution of the Chief Rabbinate as well to Israeli society. Since there is no longer any substantive justification for maintaining two Chief Rabbis, the economic and bureaucratic savings resulting from abolishing the dual roles become an additional and significant justification.”

The legislation mirrors an earlier proposal submitted by MK Lieberman and closely resembles a bill advanced by MK Elazar Stern during the 23rd Knesset.

{Matzav.com}