Last update - 00:00 06/01/2008
Government separates religious services authority from PMO
By Barak Ravid ,Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
The government on Sunday approved the separation of the religious services authority from the Prime Minister's Office.
The move was approved by a vote of 16 ministers in favor to six against. Two ministers abstained.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said during the meeting that there is "no intention of reestablishing the religious services authority in its previous format," and added that "until now, the matter of religious services was under my charge, but I don't think that a prime minister should devote hours every week to signing burial permits."
The Chief Rabbinate, the Rabbinical courts, and the religious schools will remain under the prime minister's control.
PMO sources stated the religious services authority will be placed under the management of MK Yitzhak Cohen (Shas). "[In the past] minister Cohen would deal with the [religious services] matters, and then prime minister would sign the necessary authorizations...now Cohen will have the authority to sign the authorizations," they said.
MK Yossi Beilin (Meretz) said in response that the government's decision is a black day for the relationship between religion and state. "Israel is the only democracy in the world in which rules pertaining to marital relations are religious ones."
"The state is taking a giant step backwards by recreating an office dedicated to increasing the political power of parties that are trying to force religious laws upon a secular majority," Beilin said.
MK Ran Cohen (Meretz) also criticized the decision, saying that "the resurrection of the Ministry of Religion is a political bribe offered to the religious parties by Olmert."
National Religious Party Chairman Zevulun Orlev said that "Shas will transform the religious councils into an authority for small businesses. What interests Shas is not the religious services, it is the nepotistic job opportunities."
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