JERUSALEM: Israel’s prime minister says he will oppose a bill on conversions to Judaism that has angered liberal Jewish groups worldwide.
Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he fears the legislation making its way through Israel’s parliament would create a rift in the Jewish world.
Last week, a parliamentary committee in Israel gave preliminary approval to draft legislation that would give Orthodox rabbis in Israel more control over conversions, a sensitive issue that goes to the heart of the age-old question of who is a Jew.
The majority of Jews outside Israel belong to the Reform and Conservative movements whose religious practices are less strict.
These movements say the new legislation would undermine their legitimacy and their connection to Israel.
