'Phis Week
Domestic
Front
Bamk proposes series of reforms
aimed at pleasing secular voters.
:,4%,AIRRWSPNP.
alg
8/25
2000
30
A fervently Orthodox Jew talks to a
secular Israeli woman in downtown
Jerusalem on Monday. Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Barak recently announced a number
of initiatives aimed at pleasing secular voters.
NAOMI SEGAL
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
I
Jerusalem
n a sharp challenge to Jewish
rights that have been recog-
nized since Israel's creation in
1948, Prime Minister Ehud
Barak has announced that he intends
to seek legislation to strengthen sec-
ular rights in Israeli society.
The announcement is being
viewed as an indication that Barak is
pessimistic about the possibility of
bringing any religious parties back
into his weakened governing coali-
tion. The initiatives include allowing
for the drafting of a constitution,
Lebanon and putting the economy on
its feet, it is time to raise the flag of
social issues," Barak told Israel Radio.
New Constitution
Barak said he had delegated three
Cabinet ministers — Yossi Beilin,
Shlomo Ben-Ami and Rabbi Michael
Melchior — to draw up a position
paper on a constitution that would
guarantee non-Jews a full range of
political, social and religious freedoms
on a par with those that Jews enjoy.
Touching another flashpoint issue,
Barak said he would introduce a com-
prehensive national-service bill that
would require all young Israelis,
including members of ultra-Orthodox
groups currently exempted from mili-
years
tary service, to sign up for
of nonmilitary work directed by the
government.
The prime minister also said that
all state-funded schools, including
those run by ultra-Orthodox groups,
would be required to follow a curricu
lum that includes classes in subjects
such as civics, mathematics and
English that the schools have long
avoided.
In an Army Radio interview,
said the civil marriage proposal woul(
not affect people who wanted to be
married by the rabbinate. But he said
others could simply register as cou-
ples, in effect, a new civil status that
would assure them the same rights as
those who are married halachically (1)
Jewish law).
Beilin said "very religious people"
had drafted the proposal. He noted,
however, that the plan never would
have been approved if it had to pass
muster with the former coalition par
ners:
Civil marriages would be widely
acceptable, according to a poll
released Tuesday by Melitz, the
Institute for Jewish Zionist
Education, in Jerusalem. That surve:
found nearly 60 percent of both
Jewish and Arab respondents in favo
of allowing people to marry without
regard for religion or nationality.
Predictably, 83 percent of secular Jei
were in favor, but so were 38 percen
of those identifying themselves as tr,
ditional and 31 percent of those
describing themselves as "religious."
creating civil marriages and abolish-
ing the controversial Ministry of
Break With Shas
Religious'Affairs. The ministry has
Sources within Barak's One Israel
been at the center of the continuing
bloc said Barak's move was tanta-
struggle in Israel over who may rec-
mount to a "divorce" from the fer-
ognized as a Jew.
"The national agenda has now
Related editorial: page 37
changed: After the withdrawal from