A vote on a government plan to significantly reform conversion to Judaism in Israel is delayed until further notice after not enough support could be garnered for the legislation.
The legislation, penned by Yisrael Beytenu MK Yulia Malinovsky, is the subject of major controversy. Yesterday, Chief Rabbi David Lau told Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that he would not approve any future conversions to Judaism as long as the government continues to advance its plan to ease the process and dilute the Chief Rabbinate’s control over it.
The reform, initiated by Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana, would allow for conversions outside the auspices of the Chief Rabbinate, authorizing municipal rabbis to supervise the process.
Ultra-Orthodox MKs pressured lawmakers in Ra’am not to support the bill, reports Channel 12 news, and some in Yamina also backed away from supporting the legislation, forcing its delay.
Is our live election coverage important to you?
Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the 2026 Israeli election? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:
- Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock to report political developments as they unfold;
- Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and podcasts; and
- Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including our DocuNation streaming film series and weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.
Join The Times of Israel Community
JOIN NOW
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From 
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
