The religious parties agreed Wednesday to postpone a Knesset vote on the controversial Who is a Jew amendment to the Law of Return after a headcount indicated they lacked the vote to pass it.
Premier Yitzhak Shamir, who said he supports the measure in principle, suggested that its sponsors wait a few weeks. The Labor Party served notice it would vote en bloc against the amendment which would invalidate conversions by non-Orthodox rabbis.
When a bill is defeated in the Knesset, six months must pass before it can be re-introduced. The Who is a Jew amendment has been consistently defeated over the years.
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