Non-Haredi/pro-Zionist candidates failed in chief rabbinate election
The deputy religious affairs minister, Eliyahu ben-Dahan, says he's let down by the results, and:
...he hopes the secular public will not “give a kick to the institution of the Rabbinate” out of disappointment with the hareidi candidates elected. “They need to understand that the importance of the institution of the Rabbinate is much more important than the chief rabbis.”No, I think that, if the government were to decide the chief rabbinate needs to be closed down to avoid potential corruption committed by the Haredis, then it's best to separate between synagogue and state, just like in America. There could be helpful advantages to do this, and it doesn't mean rabbis won't still have influence. It could actually get the rabbis to start being a little more honest in their business.
Labels: haredi corruption, Israel, Judaism