Immigration9/7/2026

Proposal to Restrict Recognition of Non-Orthodox Conversions Is Frozen

A proposed amendment to Israel’s Law of Return that would recognize only conversions performed according to Orthodox Jewish law did not reach debate in the Knesset. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu halted its advancement, but the proposal remains pending and could return in the next Knesset.

Key facts

•Statute: Law of Return
•Proposal sponsor: MK Simcha Rothman
•Knesset recess began: July 17, 2026
•Election date stated in the source: October 27, 2026
•Estimated affected conversions: about 550 per year
•Relevant ruling: 2021 High Court of Justice decision; case number not stated

What the proposal would change

The Law of Return currently defines a Jew as someone born to a Jewish mother or converted to Judaism, provided that the person has not joined another religion. The amendment promoted by MK Simcha Rothman, chair of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, would recognize only conversion conducted according to Orthodox halakha for purposes of the law. It was intended to reverse the effect of a 2021 High Court of Justice ruling recognizing Reform and Conservative conversions performed in Israel.

Who could be affected

The proposed restriction would cover Reform and Conservative converts as well as people converted through liberal Orthodox frameworks not recognized by the Chief Rabbinate. According to the source, affected converts without citizenship could lose eligibility for citizenship as Jews, while their spouses, children and grandchildren could lose related immigration rights under the Law of Return. Israeli citizens in this group could also face barriers to Jewish marriage and burial; people registered as having no religion might be unable to marry in Israel.

Why the measure was stopped

The proposal was considered by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation during the 25th Knesset’s summer session, between May and July 2026, but never reached the Knesset. Netanyahu ordered its advancement stopped because of concern that it would damage relations with American Jewry, much of which is affiliated with the Reform and Conservative movements. The government did not permanently withdraw the amendment, and it returned to the committee’s agenda in May 2026.

The present legal position

The Knesset entered its election recess on July 17, 2026, ahead of the October 27 election, and the government became a transitional government. The amendment therefore remains unresolved rather than enacted, meaning existing law and the 2021 High Court ruling continue to apply. The source estimates that about 550 people undergo conversions each year in Israeli frameworks not recognized by state religious institutions, including approximately 235 Reform, 90 Conservative and 220 liberal Orthodox conversions.

What this means for you

For now, people converted in Israel through Reform, Conservative or non-Rabbinate liberal Orthodox frameworks retain the recognition available under existing law. Their present position has not been changed by legislation, but the pending proposal could be revived by a future Knesset and may affect citizenship, relatives’ immigration, marriage and burial arrangements.

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Case analysis based on court rulings