Israel's Justice Minister Creates Controversy With Comments on Religious Law

A speech given on Monday by Israel's Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman, calling for incorporating more of Jewish law into Israeli civil law, has set off a firestorm of protest in the country. According to Haaretz, the speech was given at the opening session of the organization Halichot Am Israel, a group that wants to make Jewish law part of Israel's civil justice system. There is a good deal of dispute over exactly what Neeman intended when he said "step by step, Torah law will become the binding law in the State of Israel." Statements later by Neeman and the Justice Ministry say he intended merely to speak in general terms about the importance of Jewish law to the life of the country, and apparently backed giving Rabbinical courts jurisdiction over financial disputes to help relieve the backlog of cases in the civil courts. (Haaretz). However political opponents called for his resignation, accusing him of promoting "Talibaization" in Israeli society, and proposing a theocracy in Israel. Yesterday's Jerusalem Post has reactions from numerous political and religious leaders to Neeman's remarks.