Not everyone can join
the herrenvolk
One of the arguments
used by those who say that Zionism is not racist is that anyone can convert to
being Jewish and thus become part of the master race in Israel. There is no barrier if you meet the religious
criteria of adherence to Orthodoxy, observance of the commandments (mitzvot)
etc.
used by those who say that Zionism is not racist is that anyone can convert to
being Jewish and thus become part of the master race in Israel. There is no barrier if you meet the religious
criteria of adherence to Orthodoxy, observance of the commandments (mitzvot)
etc.
Now we learn that Israel’s
conversion authority routinely rejects Palestinian and refugee requests to
convert on grounds of ethnicity or their legal status as refugees. What has one’s status as a refugee got to do with
religious adherence? Nothing of
course. Except of course that the
Orthodox Jewish institutions fulfills much the same function vs the Israeli state
as the Reich Church in Germany fulfilled in respect of the Nazi state. The difference was that in Nazi Germany the
Confessing Church supplanted the Reich Church which became unpopular with German
Christians (not the Confessing Church ever stood up to the Nazis).
conversion authority routinely rejects Palestinian and refugee requests to
convert on grounds of ethnicity or their legal status as refugees. What has one’s status as a refugee got to do with
religious adherence? Nothing of
course. Except of course that the
Orthodox Jewish institutions fulfills much the same function vs the Israeli state
as the Reich Church in Germany fulfilled in respect of the Nazi state. The difference was that in Nazi Germany the
Confessing Church supplanted the Reich Church which became unpopular with German
Christians (not the Confessing Church ever stood up to the Nazis).
In Slovakia during WW2 approximately 10% of Slovakian Jews, between 6,000 and 8,000 converted to Christianity to escape deportation. In Budapest in 1944 thousands of Jews converted for the same reason. Almost without exception the Churches put no obstacles in the way of conversion, even though they knew that the reasons for conversion were to save themselves rather than out of religious devotion. In the majority of case it did not save the Jewish converts from deportation though it did in somc cases.
Tony Greenstein
JTA Fri, 01 Apr 2016
Rabbi Yitzhak Peretz,
director of the Israeli government’s Conversion Authority, made the statement
earlier this week, according to NRG.
director of the Israeli government’s Conversion Authority, made the statement
earlier this week, according to NRG.
Photo by: REUTERS
Israel’s
authority handling conversions to Judaism rejects Palestinian applicants
without review because of their ethnic origin, its head said.
authority handling conversions to Judaism rejects Palestinian applicants
without review because of their ethnic origin, its head said.
Rabbi
Yitzhak Peretz, director of the Israeli government’s Conversion Authority,
spoke about his organization’s handling of requests by Palestinians to convert
on Tuesday during a discussion on conversions at the State Control Committee of
the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, the news site NRG reported.
Yitzhak Peretz, director of the Israeli government’s Conversion Authority,
spoke about his organization’s handling of requests by Palestinians to convert
on Tuesday during a discussion on conversions at the State Control Committee of
the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, the news site NRG reported.
To
initiate an officially recognized conversion to Judaism in Israel, foreigners
need to apply to the special cases panel of the Conversion Authority.
initiate an officially recognized conversion to Judaism in Israel, foreigners
need to apply to the special cases panel of the Conversion Authority.
“The
threshold requirements” to be considered by the special cases panel, he said,
“are that applicants be sincere and that they are not foreign workers;
infiltrators; Palestinian or illegally in the country.” In 2014, he added, the
special cases committee received 400 applications. “Half of the applicants were
accepted, the rest were rejected as foreign workers, infiltrators, illegal
stayers and Palestinians,” he said.
threshold requirements” to be considered by the special cases panel, he said,
“are that applicants be sincere and that they are not foreign workers;
infiltrators; Palestinian or illegally in the country.” In 2014, he added, the
special cases committee received 400 applications. “Half of the applicants were
accepted, the rest were rejected as foreign workers, infiltrators, illegal
stayers and Palestinians,” he said.
Conversions
to Judaism by Palestinians are rare in Israel.
to Judaism by Palestinians are rare in Israel.
Israel’s
Declaration of Independence, which is the legal basis for the country’s basic
laws – a set often referred to the equivalent of Israel’s constitution –
ensures “absolute social and political equality to all its citizens regardless
of faith, race and gender.”
Declaration of Independence, which is the legal basis for the country’s basic
laws – a set often referred to the equivalent of Israel’s constitution –
ensures “absolute social and political equality to all its citizens regardless
of faith, race and gender.”
The
Israeli government fears that Palestinian attempts to convert to Judaism would
be a covert form of realizing “the right of return,” which is
demanded by Arabs who were forced to flee or fled their former homes and lands
in pre-state Israel just before the state’s founding.
Israeli government fears that Palestinian attempts to convert to Judaism would
be a covert form of realizing “the right of return,” which is
demanded by Arabs who were forced to flee or fled their former homes and lands
in pre-state Israel just before the state’s founding.
‘African infiltrators
have no halachic affiliation to the Jewish people’ (archives) Photo: Gil
Yohanan
have no halachic affiliation to the Jewish people’ (archives) Photo: Gil
Yohanan
Dozens of Eritrean and Sudanese infiltrators have
asked to become part of Jewish people in past year bid to receive residence
permit and perhaps even Israeli citizenship, Ynet learns.
asked to become part of Jewish people in past year bid to receive residence
permit and perhaps even Israeli citizenship, Ynet learns.
Kobi Nachshoni
Published: 06.11.14, 00:19 / Israel Jewish Scene
Dozens of Eritrean and Sudanese infiltrators residing
in Israel illegally have requested to convert
to Judaism in the past year in a bid to receive a residence permit and
perhaps even an Israeli citizenship, Ynet has learned.
in Israel illegally have requested to convert
to Judaism in the past year in a bid to receive a residence permit and
perhaps even an Israeli citizenship, Ynet has learned.
Their requests were rejected out of hand by the
Conversion Authority for failing to meet preconditions.
Conversion Authority for failing to meet preconditions.
Refugee Problem
According to figures compiled by the Ministry of
Religious of Services, dozens of Africans tried to begin a conversion process,
and most requests were made when the infiltrators’
problem was at the center of the public and media’s attention.
Religious of Services, dozens of Africans tried to begin a conversion process,
and most requests were made when the infiltrators’
problem was at the center of the public and media’s attention.
A ministry official estimates that the immediate
refusal made the entire community realize that it would not find a solution to
its distress that way, and the number of requests soon diminished.
refusal made the entire community realize that it would not find a solution to
its distress that way, and the number of requests soon diminished.
“The government built a fence in the south, on
the state’s border, and we built one here, at the entrance gate to the Jewish
people,” Shmuel Jeselsohn, head of the State Conversion Authority, told
Ynet. “That’s why even when there are infiltrators seeking to convert –
it’s not a phenomenon.”
the state’s border, and we built one here, at the entrance gate to the Jewish
people,” Shmuel Jeselsohn, head of the State Conversion Authority, told
Ynet. “That’s why even when there are infiltrators seeking to convert –
it’s not a phenomenon.”
Rejected without discussion
According to Jeselsohn, until a few years ago there
were no precondition for conversion, so that “everyone who was deported or
banned entry to Israel would immediately knock on the door, and we had to
summon them for an interview and start a process.
were no precondition for conversion, so that “everyone who was deported or
banned entry to Israel would immediately knock on the door, and we had to
summon them for an interview and start a process.
“This has been stopped,” he added, ‘and now
foreign nationals are required to fill out a form requesting a conversion,
which is discussed together with Justice Ministry representatives. If the
request is filed by an illegal resident, it will be denied immediately.’
foreign nationals are required to fill out a form requesting a conversion,
which is discussed together with Justice Ministry representatives. If the
request is filed by an illegal resident, it will be denied immediately.’
Yet religious sources have expressed their fear that
the state will regularize the status of African infiltrators in the future and
allow them to reside in Israel. In such a case, they will have the legal right
to convert, despite the fact that they have no halachic affiliation to the
Jewish people.
the state will regularize the status of African infiltrators in the future and
allow them to reside in Israel. In such a case, they will have the legal right
to convert, despite the fact that they have no halachic affiliation to the
Jewish people.
“The stories we hear from the religious courts,
that they allegedly abuse converts, will pale in comparison to what we are
expected to see with the Africans,” a Conversion Authority source told
Ynet.
that they allegedly abuse converts, will pale in comparison to what we are
expected to see with the Africans,” a Conversion Authority source told
Ynet.
“Today we are still talking about immigrants from
the former Soviet Union, who in the worst case are assimilators of Jewish
descent, and so we are still lenient with them. But here we are talking about
tens of thousands who want to assimilate into us and have no connection to
Judaism.”
the former Soviet Union, who in the worst case are assimilators of Jewish
descent, and so we are still lenient with them. But here we are talking about
tens of thousands who want to assimilate into us and have no connection to
Judaism.”
Appeals received from Palestinians too
Jeselsohn says the tension between the civil law and
Jewish Law is built into the conversion issue, but is hardly witnessed these
days.
Jewish Law is built into the conversion issue, but is hardly witnessed these
days.
Jeselsohn offers one example: “A while ago I met
a woman with a head cover, who obviously maintains a very religious lifestyle
and really wants to be part of the Jewish people. But then it turned out that
several years ago she tried to enter Israel without a permit, and so legally
she must not be converted.”
a woman with a head cover, who obviously maintains a very religious lifestyle
and really wants to be part of the Jewish people. But then it turned out that
several years ago she tried to enter Israel without a permit, and so legally
she must not be converted.”
Today, the exceptions committee allows the Conversion
Authority to begin the process for a person who fails to meet the preconditions
only in very rare cases. According to Jeselsohn, “We are occasionally
approached by Palestinians who experience problems entering Israel.”
Authority to begin the process for a person who fails to meet the preconditions
only in very rare cases. According to Jeselsohn, “We are occasionally
approached by Palestinians who experience problems entering Israel.”
He recalls an amusing incident when a Bedouin who
began taking Judaism lessons called to inquire why he was not receiving an
allowance like any other yeshiva student.
began taking Judaism lessons called to inquire why he was not receiving an
allowance like any other yeshiva student.
Posted in Blog
