Here is some more info on the appointments of the most recent group of 19 Rabbinic Court judges. The game is all political. For a long while political battles have held up the appointment of these judges. Most recently in July the Israeli Bar association filed a petition to the high court claiming that the commission had appointed the latest judges for political reasons and not for their abilities (12 out of the 15 were Charedi).  But this week the Justice Minister did finally manage to quiet all the political rivalries. His office is calling it a success. Now that 14 out of the 19 are Charedi it's all better, right?

The Mafdal (National Religious party) was mollified with 5 out of the 19 seats, while Shas took at least 7 of the other seats, 14 of the seats are Charedi men. The articles I found on Haaretz and Ynet, don't go into specific names or even the complete political make up of the judges- I guess no one really cares all that much....

The ministry of Justice is seeing it as a political victory that the political groups were all satisfied but the women's groups were not: "Once again in appointing these judges, women are sacrificed at the alter of political pragmatism," said Batya Kahane of Mavoi Satum.

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