Ultra-Orthodox furious over Israeli top court’s ruling on conversions

The Supreme Court ruled March 2 that the state must recognize conversions conducted by the Reform and Conservative movements in Israel (progressive Judaism) for purposes of the Law of Return, which entitles Jews arriving to Israel to receive citizenship. In other words, in the eyes of Israeli law, non-Orthodox converts to Judaism are Jewish and should be entitled to become citizens.  

But despite all the hoopla, this ruling is not as dramatic as it sounds. After all, these conversions are already recognized, when they are conducted overseas. Reform and Conservative converts from the United States, for example, where most Jews identify with one of these movements, have the right to immigrate to Israel as Jews and immediately claim citizenship.

In fact, the real issue with the current ruling is its timing. With just three weeks left until the March 23 election, it plays into the hands of the Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox parties, but also into the hands of the liberal parties in the Knesset. The current conflict is getting so much attention that it is bound to drive voters on both sides to the polls.

From 2005 to 2008, the Supreme Court postponed issuing a ruling in 11 separate cases filed by immigrants from various places around the world, who underwent Reform or Conservative conversion in Israel. Most of these converts were already married to Jewish citizens of Israel, and were demanding that they be recognized as Jews so as to be eligible for the Law of Return.