Formal negotiations resumed tonight between a special three-man committee of Mapai Party leaders and representatives of the United Religious Party in a renewed effort to find a compromise solution before tomorrow’s special Cabinet meeting which will act on the resignations of two Religious Ministers and two Deputy Ministers.
Both groups stress their willingness to reach a modus vivendi, though no solution appears in sight at the moment. A number of suggestions have been put to the Religious leaders in the past two days, but none have proved acceptable.
Among the compromise suggestions offered were substitution of the category of “community” instead of religion or nationality. The Religious leaders, however, insisted that any form which allowed an applicant to characterize himself as “Jewish” without meeting the requirements of Jewish religious law threatened the status of religious institutions. The crisis blew up over the Ministry of the Interior’s decision to allow each applicant for an identity card to specify whether or not he was Jewish.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
