The Knesset voted 49-35 on Wednesday afternoon to advance a controversial bill on the “Realization of Jewish Identity in the Public Sphere” that aims to ensure the ability of Israelis to “express their national and religious identity,” prompting critics to accuse the government of engaging in religious coercion.

The legislation, sponsored by Likud MK Galit Distel Atbaryan and Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Kroizer, mandates the installation of mezuzahs in public institutions, criminalizes interfering with Jewish Orthodox religious practices in public spaces, and requires civil court judges to pass tests proving their knowledge of Jewish religious law. That last clause, however, is likely to be removed during upcoming deliberations.

Having passed its preliminary reading, the bill was set to advance to committee for preparation for the first of three readings needed for it to pass into law.

It states that its purpose is to allow Jewish Israelis to observe Jewish law, “as commanded by the Creator of the world, according to the custom of their ancestors” and “without fear of interference or persecution by those in authority.”

Public rituals such as wrapping tefillin and prayer would be legally protected according to the new legislation, and any interference with them — including minor bureaucratic obstacles — may be considered a criminal offense.

Some of these practices have become battleground issues, most notably in September 2023 when Orthodox worshipers defied a municipal ruling and set up gender dividers at mass Yom Kippur prayer services in Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Square, sparking an angry response from liberal activists that highlighted the deep societal tensions over public expressions of religious practice and gender segregation.

The most controversial clause of the bill calls for civil judges to pass exams on halacha, or Jewish law, in order to serve on the bench in secular courts, and designates the Grand Rabbinical Court the sole authority for disputes related to Distel-Atbaryan’s bill.

It states that once the law comes into force, no judge will be appointed without passing such a test, giving the rabbinate an effective veto over the appointment of judges.

That clause was opposed by the........

© The Times of Israel