Knesset restores rabbinical-court civil arbitration powers (65-41)

The Knesset passed the Religious Courts Arbitration Law, sponsored by UTJ MKs Moshe Gafni and Yisrael Eichler alongside Shas MK Yinon Azoulay, restoring batei din authority to arbitrate civil matters such as employment and neighbor disputes with both parties' consent. Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef hailed the law as ending 'a terrible chillul Hashem', the 2006 court-imposed restriction that barred Torah-based dispute resolution.