Elections for Chief Rabbinate May Be Delayed Due to Dayan’s Unexpected Intervention

Defense Minister Moshe Dayan has intervened unexpectedly in preparations for the forthcoming election of Israel’s chief rabbinate. As a result, the elections may be delayed beyond the expiration of the present chief rabbis’ terms at the end of next month. Gen, Dayan who does not normally involve himself in religious affairs, sent a letter to Premier Golda Meir last week in which he stated his view that there is no need for two chief rabbis, one Ashkenazic (East European) and the other Sephardic (Oriental). The incumbent Ashkenazio Chief Rabbi is Itzhak Unterman and his Sephardic counterpart is Chief Rabbi Isser Nissim. The chief rabbis are not elected by popular vote but are chosen by delegates selected by the religious councils in each Israeli township. Gen, Dayan advised the Premier that he had specific objections to a rabbinical election bill drafted by the Ministry for Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Justice.

The bill was unanimously approved by a ministerial sub-committee on laws and bills and under those circumstances could be submitted directly to the Knesset for approval without discussion by the full Cabinet. But Dayan’s intervention is likely to bring the whole issue before the Government, delaying the elections. In that event, Minister of Religious Affairs Zerach Warhaftig would have to ask the Knesset to temporarily extend the terms of the incumbent chief rabbis. Dayan has said on previous occasions that he believes the time has come to end the division of the chief rabbinate into Ashkenazic and Sephardic branches. But his latest action was believed to have been prompted by the Army Chief Chaplain, Rabbi Shlomo Goren, who shares his opinion that one Chief Rabbi is sufficient. Rabbi Goren, who holds the rank of General, was elected Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv two years ago but has yet to take up that post. Sephardic circles in the religious parties are upset by the Dayan move. They insist on the dual rabbinate because they fear that Ashkenazic rabbis would otherwise take over all rabbinical institutions.