Kotel compromise notwithstanding, Israel facing uphill battle over religious pluralism [View all]

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By Ben Sales · April 16, 2013

JERUSALEM (JTA) – Natan Sharansky’s proposal last week to expand the space for non-Orthodox prayer at the Western Wall could be historic.

But for most Israelis, changes at the Western Wall are of only trivial interest. Far more pressing are state restrictions on marriage and conversion, Sabbath bans on public transit, and haredi Orthodox exemptions from Israel’s mandatory draft.

The haredi draft exemption was a central issue in January’s elections for the Knesset, and it has been a hot topic of debate for the last year or so. A comprehensive bill is now in the works to draft haredi men, providing financial incentives to those who enlist and penalizing those who don’t.

A few political parties -- notably the large, centrist Yesh Atid -- have promised reforms on marriage, conversion and public transportation, too. But with the government’s coalition agreement giving each party veto power over any change in the state’s religious policy, sweeping changes on marriage and conversion are unlikely because the nationalist Jewish Home party is unlikely to approve such reforms.

http://www.jta.org/news/article/2013/04/16/3124306/kotel-compromise-notwithstanding-uphill-battle-in-israel-for-religious-pluralism-issues