Commentary: Olmert Team sacrifices future of 4 Jewish women to satisfy
Goldwasser family?

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 7 July 2008

When the Olmert Cabinet voted last week to, among other things, provide
information on the fate of four missing Iranian officials in return for the
bodies of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev they ostensibly gave priority to
the need to free Karnit Goldwasser from her aguna (unable to remarry) status
against the chances of trading this information in order to resolve the
status of four other agunot.

I say "ostensibly" because it is far from clear that the Olmert Cabinet even
considered the fates of Nahid Farangian, Simcha Razakansari, Orit Rabizadeh,
and Linda Balazadeh (Ram), the four wives of Iranian Jews arrested in the
1990s as they sought to escape from Iran across the border with Pakistan.

None of these women may remarry because it is believed that their husbands
are still alive and wallowing in
Iranian prisons.

The only bargaining chip Israel holds to help resolve their fate is the
information it has on the Iranian diplomats.

But the Olmert team threw that chip on the huge pile of concessions in the
live terrorists for dead Israeli trade with Hezbollah.

But what of Karmit Goldwasser's rights?

A key argument that has been raised by supporters of the trade of Kuntar for
Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev is that Goldwasser's wife, Karnit, is a live
hostage since, under Jewish law, she cannot remarry until it is determined
that her husband is indeed dead.

Is the Rabbinate unable to make this determination in the absence of a body?

A resounding "no".

Chief Rabbi of the IDF, Rabbi Avichai Ronsky was in the process of making
just this determination when it was put on hold so that the Olmert Cabinet
could vote without knowing if Karnit could be freed from her aguna status
without the bodies-terrorist swap.

But the Olmert Cabinet did not want to know. So the determination was never
made.

Let's be clear about this.

The obligation of the State to the Goldwasser family to free Carmit from her
aguna status is considerably greater than Israel's obligation to satisfy the
Goldwasser family's need to see physical proof that Ehud is indeed dead.

While the former obligation to a woman whose aguna status is the direct
result of his service in the IDF may take precedents over the rights of four
other agunot, it would be obscene to argue that, assuming Karnit can be
released from aguna status by rabbinical ruling , that her right to see
physical proof that her husband is dead takes precedents over the rights of
Nahid Farangian, Simcha Razakansari, Orit Rabizadeh, and Linda Balazadeh
(Ram).

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il