The statement "Despite holding Israeli citizenship, it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of olim are not considered Jewish by religious law" is true.
Under the Law of Return, anyone who is 1/4 Jewish can immigrate to Israel (as long as they do not identify with another religion). However, this does not mean that they are halachically Jewish, born to a Jewish mother. The article is referring to the hundreds of thousands of Olim from the Former Soviet Union who cannot prove their Jewish identity, because Judaism was marked through the father-and not the mother. In addition, these are also immigrants who were raised in a Jewish home, born to a Jewish father.
These immigrants absolutely serve in the IDF, but are not recognized as Jews by the Rabbinut. This means they cannot be married in Israel (why the issue of civil marriage is so important now) and they cannot be buried in Jewish cemeteries (now they have sections alongside, for those "without religion").
I hope this helps. |
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