New York, NY – In response to Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s "Judicial Reforms" proposal, the Rabbinical Assembly (RA), the international association of Conservative/Masorti rabbis, issued the following statement:
We are deeply alarmed by the attempted subversion of the authority of Israel’s High Court by newly appointed Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin and his government.
Israel flourishes as the Middle East's only democracy, guaranteed and sustained by an independent High Court. The timing of this new bill is transparently self-serving for those in power and risks weakening the Jewish and democratic character of Israel. It is excruciating to see this government directly undermine the core values of democracy and religious freedom that we value so deeply.
We must do all we can to not allow the incoming government to damage the Court for political gain. We call on lawmakers to speak out against these measures and others like them: the integrity of the State of Israel and the well-being of the entire Jewish people hang in the balance. We will continue to advocate against these measures and others like them in order to preserve Israel as the democratic and Jewish nation envisioned 75 years ago by the country's founders and for generations to come.
The RA proudly stands for the rights of all and champions the integrity and independence of the High Court, which has historically safeguarded minority rights against the threat of tyranny by the majority. The Justice Minister’s interference with judicial review and particularly the proposed ‘override clause’ not only threaten the fundamental rights of Masorti/Conservative Jews everywhere, but the rights of all Israel's citizens and residents, regardless of their affiliation to any particular religious movement, nationality of origin, or ethnic background.