AJC Disappointed by Surprise Renewal of Rotem Conversion Bill

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Jul 13, 2010, 10:53 ET

NEW YORK, July 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC expressed disappointment at the unexpected renewal of the so-called "Rotem Bill" on conversions in Israel.

"Conversion issues are some of the most divisive in the Jewish world and must be handled responsibly," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "This bill was first proposed months ago and gave rise to serious misgivings in the Diaspora. It creates a grave danger of excluding non-Orthodox, and even some Orthodox conversions, conducted outside Israel."

The Israeli government gave a commitment regarding the way this proposal would be handled and appointed Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky to oversee the dialogue. The conversation between all the parties had been ongoing until this morning, when MK David Rotem surprised the committee by pushing this legislation to the forefront.

If passed, the bill could give the chief rabbinate in Israel the power to decide which conversions are accepted. This would overturn an Israeli Supreme Court decision, ruling that all Jews converted by rabbis from all streams of Judaism are eligible for Israeli citizenship.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee