Representatives of Chareidi parties on Sunday morning 11 Kislev met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in the hope of locking down a plan for the future of the Kosel and the egalitarian prayer area.

The meeting was compelled by the High Court of Justice which is involved in cases pertaining to the Kosel and egalitarian prayer options. Shas leader Aryeh Deri attended the meeting with Health Minister Yaakov Litzman.

The chareidim are continuing to pressure PM Netanyahu to cancel the cabinet decision permitting an egalitarian prayer area, now exhibiting tenacious opposition to such a plan. Chareidi representatives are now explaining that they will not permit Reform Jewry and official foothold at the Kosel or near it.

In the meantime, the Prime Minister is under enormous pressure from major contributors to Israel who are affiliated with the Reform and Conservative Movements and he continues efforts to walk between the raindrops. In his recent comments to the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of Norrth America regarding egalitarian prayer at the Kosel, assuring Reform and Conservative leaders the Kosel will remain open for all types of Jews to pray there.

He added “I passed a resolution in the government. We couldn’t pass it. We had to work further to achieve compromise, to achieve other arrangements between the various parties involved, and finally we passed it. In a way, that is what is happening here as well. We have passed a resolution, we’re working with the parties, we stand ready to work a little more. It’s not so simple. In fact, it’s complicated.

“Richard, you said your mother told you to count to 10? My mother told me to count to 15. Take your time. Think about it. Talk to the parties. See if you can come to an equitable solution. And here’s my recommendation for me to succeed in this, we can build ramparts, we can build barricades. That ain’t going to solve it. I found, and I know whereof I speak, that sometimes you need quiet diplomacy, a lot of times you need quiet diplomacy between Jews and Arabs. This is one instance where I think we need quiet diplomacy between Jews and Jews. That’s a lot more likely to get the result we all seek”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)