A three-member independent committee here sent a proposal to the Israel Government yesterday which is designed to preserve religious freedom in Israel while at the same time providing a “fertile ground” for the nurturing of historic Judaism. The plan, based on the doctrine of “home rule,” was forwarded to the Israel Government by Supreme Court Justice Samuel H. Hofstadter, Col. Harold Riegelman and Jacob N. Dinnes. All three are experts in the field of public law.
Under the proposal, Moslem, Christian and Jewish communities in Israel would be empowered to enact their own local restrictions regarding religious observances. “The principle of home rule,” the memorandum says, “may provide a solution to the problems of the nature and extent of any additional safeguards of Jewish traditions in accordance with the wishes of a majority of the residents in each of the local communities.”
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