Leading rabbis in the liberal wing of the national-religious community have called on Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman to “stand by his electorate” and oppose any government attempt to weaken the standing of private Orthodox conversions, should he join the coalition.

A ruling by the High Court of Justice in March gave de facto state recognition to independent Orthodox conversion courts, which the United Torah Judaism party immediately promised to revoke through legislation.

Last year, Liberman blasted the coalition for repealing reforms to the conversion system adopted by the previous government, and gave strong public backing to a new, independent network of Orthodox conversion courts. Giyur Kahalacha, when it was launched in August 2015.