New Questions of “Who Is A Jew” In Israel

Israel’s Chief Rabbinate has a blacklist of Israelis who are not eligible to get married in Israel, even though they are listed as Jewish in the country’s Population Registry. Israel has no civil marriage and the Chief Rabbinate has a monopoly on conducting marriages for Jews. According to Israeli press reports, that list is growing quickly. The Chief Rabbinate has begun to summon immigrants to Israel for background checks, after doubts were raised about the religious status of relatives seeking to marry in the country. The issue is expected to deepen tensions between the Chief Rabbinate and Jews living abroad, especially in the US.