The Independent Liberal Party said today that it was considering introducing a bill in the Knesset that would provide for civil marriages in Israel. A spokesman for the party’s parliamentary faction said such legislation was necessary because of the “intolerable” situation created by Israel’s Orthodox Chief Rabbinate by refusing to recognize the conversions of immigrants from the Soviet Union and other Eastern European countries performed in Vienna. Under present Israeli law, marriage, divorce and other personal matters come under the exclusive jurisdiction of the rabbinate which refuses to recognize rabbis other than Orthodox as “qualified.” The Independent Liberal spokesman said the party was considering a measure that would establish special authorities authorized to perform civil marriages for citizens who are not interested in religious ceremonies. This would effect converts who are refused permission to wed in Israel because their conversions are not recognized by the rabbinate. Rabbi Shlomo Lorincz, an MK representing the ultra-Orthodox Agudat Israel faction, defended the rabbinical courts on the Knesset floor today against charges that they were obstructing immigration by refusing to recognize the Vienna conversions. He blamed the criticism on “anti-religious inciters” and claimed that if they were “kept away” the rabbinate would solve all the problems. He didn’t say how.
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