Yisrael Beytenu Party leader Avigdor Lieberman asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders of several parties on Tuesday to condemn the practice of DNA testing for immigrants from the former Soviet Union used by the Rabbinate to determine if a person is Jewish
TEL AVIV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th March, 2019) Yisrael Beytenu Party leader Avigdor Lieberman asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders of several parties on Tuesday to condemn the practice of DNA testing for immigrants from the former Soviet Union used by the Rabbinate to determine if a person is Jewish.Lieberman's appeal was published by the party's press service.
"I draw your attention to the fact that the practice of rabbinic courts that require DNA tests from immigrants from the former Soviet Union, who seek confirmation of Jewry, for example, in order to marry in accordance with religious traditions, is illegal," Lieberman said.
According to Lieberman, judges of district rabbinate courts "propose" applicants to undergo DNA tests either to confirm their Jewish origin or to ensure that were not adopted by their parents.
"Formally, this is a proposal, but this is a proposal that cannot be rejected, since a refusal to take a DNA test will be perceived as an acknowledgment of the validity of rabbis' suspicions and will prevent applicants from marrying in their own country," the politician stressed.
In his address to the leaders of other parties, the head of Yisrael Beytenu said that "proposals of this kind are made exclusively for immigrants from the former Soviet Union."
Earlier in March, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau admitted that the Rabbinate occasionally used DNA testing to determine if someone is Jewish, but noted that these tests are done in separate and rare cases and without any coercion.
According to reports, last year, at least 20 couples were required to undergo DNA testing as a condition for registering their marriage in Israel.
