•"7"7"77W
.
ATHERWOOD
The Open
Questions
Pluralism issues may
stay unresolved
in Barak's coalition.
/-
WHO SAYS THERE'S
No SUCH THING AS A
DAVID LANDAU
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
FE MN
Jerusalem
R
eligious pluralism issues
are likely to remain unre-
solved under the new
Israeli government, given
the strength of
religious parties in
the emerging Barak coalition.
But with Natan Sharansky's Yisrael
Ba'Aliyah Parry poised to take over
the Interior Ministry from the fer-
vently Orthodox Shas Party, it may be
easier for Russian immigrants to enter
the country and register as citizens.
These forecasts became common
currency in the Jerusalem political
z community, this week as details of the
coalition agreements between Prime
Minister-elect Ehud Barak's One
Israel bloc and its various partners
came to light.
Barak has until July 8 to form a
new government, but his spokesman
said he was expected to present it by
Friday. The latest indications are that
Shas is in and Likud, the party of for-
' mer Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu, is out.
While the accords express vague
intentions to address issues of reli-
gious pluralism and personal status,
such as marriage, divorce and burial,
there is no concrete commitment by
the parties to pass specific legislation
within a definite time frame.
•
Indeed, some political observers say,
• given the extremely awkward arithmetic
involved in his coalition-building
efforts, it is to Barak's credit that he has
not conceded ground to the religious
parties on state-synagogue issues.
While for diaspora Jewry the most
controversial issues involve the lack of
recognition of non-Orthodox rabbis
\ and institutions, the main focus for
• the Israeli public has been on army
conscription for haredi, fervently
Orthodox, yeshiva students. Many
Israelis resent the exemption of most
yeshiva students from the army.
In negotiations with the haredi
United Torah Judaism bloc, Barak's
OPEN QUESTIONS on page 30
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7/2
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Detroit Jewish News
29