Likud lawmaker co-authors bill for allowing some non-Jews burial at Jewish cemeteries

A Likud lawmaker joins a colleague from the opposition in submitting a bill to end the separate burial of non-Jews who died in battle or a terrorist attack.

The bill submitted by Ze’ev Elkin of the New Hope – The United Right party and Moshe Saada of Likud proposes to amend a 1970s law on the burial of such individuals. The sought amendment states that individuals who are not Jewish according to Halacha, the Jewish legal code, may be buried in Jewish burial sections of cemeteries if their families wish they be buried there.

The bill follows controversies surrounding the burial of some victims of the October 7 onslaught by Hamas, including Alina Plahti. She’s buried at a compound for non-Jews of the New Cemetery of Beit She’an because only her father is Jewish.

Alina Plahti (Courtesy)

The Chief Rabbinate and many Orthodox rabbis oppose mixed burial for Jews and non-Jews.

All four members of the Kapshetar family, murdered by terrorists near Sderot on October 7, are buried outside the Jewish section of a cemetery in Dimona because only the father of the family, Evgeny, could be buried inside it.

“It’s time that people who live as Jews, feel Jewish and were murdered in hostilities as Jews get to be buried as Jews in the Jewish section,” says Alex Rif of the One Million Lobby group that represents Russian-speaking Israelis.

The Kapshetar family, Evgeny, Dina, Aline 8, and Ethan, 5. (courtesy)

Rabbi Seth Farber of the ITIM advocacy group for reforming Israel’s religious services calls the bill “a significant development that would remedy a terrible injustice.”