A private member’s bill by Uri Avneri, the maverick MK of Haolam Hazeh, calling for general civil marriage and divorce was overwhelmingly voted down by the Knesset last night. The vote was 113-3, with four abstentions. Avneri’s only supporters were Shalom Cohen of Haolam Hazeh and one of the three representatives of the pro-Moscow Rakach Communists. Abstaining were two members of Mapam (the rest of the faction voted against the bill), and two of the State List. The government’s case in favor of retaining halachic marriage and divorce was argued by Religious Affairs Minister Dr. Zerach Warhaftig.
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.
