Yad L’Achim Urges Knesset to Reject Scandalous Law that Would Let Non-Jews Adopt Jewish Children
February 17, 2014
The Knesset Law Committee recently held a meeting to discuss a scandalous amendment to the adoption bill. The amendment, initiated by a group of MKs headed by MK Kol of Yesh Atid, states that a Jewish child can be given over for adoption to a non-Jewish family.
MK Rabbi Uri Maklev and MK Struck were fierce in their opposition to the amendment. “Whoever votes in favor will make it possible for a Jewish child to live with a Muslim family,” MK Rabbi Maklev said. Added MK Struck: “Over the generations, Jews gave their lives so that their children would not be handed over to shemad.”
In the wake of the meeting, Yad L’Achim turned to the entire Knesset to warn against advancing this destructive and dangerous legislation. It opened by praising Rabbi Maklev and Mrs. Struck for forcefully speaking out against the law and went on to explain its fateful significance.
Yad L’Achim, which has been at the forefront of the battle against assimilation and intermarriage, appealed to MKs to do everything in their power to remove the motion from the agenda, before it is too late.
“As the organization that has long led the struggle against assimilation and intermarriage,we look on with shock and deep concern at this bill,” Yad L’Achim said in a statement. “The implication of this bill is that Jewish children will assimilate among non-Jews forever.
“In our daily work, we encounter cases when a Muslim family tries to get control of a Jewish child who was born to a Jewish mother and an Arab father. In some instances, to our sorrow, they succeed. It goes without saying that we never give up on the children; but this bill, not only opens an additional crack in the wall dividing Jews from non-Jews, it grants legitimacy to the courts and governmental agencies to hand over Jewish children to non-Jews.”
Yad L’Achim stressed the absurdity of the bill.”It boggles the mind that at a time when the country and the Jewish Agency is allocating significant resources to prevent intermarriage in Israel and the Diaspora, the country’s legislature is paving the way for assimilation and intermarriage.”
Moreover, Yad LAchim added: “Even if it was decreed that parents have to give their children up for adoption, who has the Jewish and moral authority to uproot a child from his religion, the religion of his parents and grandparents throughout the generations, and give him to an alien religion?!”
The heads of Yad L’Achim held a special meeting this week with Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi David Lau to update him on the steps they are taking to prevent the amendment from being passed into law. Harav Lau said in response: “I very much support your struggle and call on you not to desist in your efforts.”
The Chief Rabbi added that he himself had turned to lawmakers and issued a moving, personal plea not to advance the dangerous legislation.
Yad L’Achim expressed the hope this week that the destructive initiative would not succeed and that its heartfelt plea, based on bitter experience, will fall on receptive ears in the Knesset in order to prevent a serious deterioration with devastating results, R’L.
