The Prime Minister’s Office has contacted the Chief Rabbis of Israel requesting a meeting to discuss the controversy surrounding Reform Jewry and the Kosel. According to the Kikar Shabbos report, Rishon L’Tzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita and Chief Rabbi Dovid Lau Shlita are thinking if attending such a meeting is wise, since they believe it will be of a political nature and therefore, their presence would not contribute anything.

The report quotes a source close to the Chief Rabbis explaining since they do not rely on what will be said at such a meeting, there is no point in them participating.

In a directly related matter, the heads of the chareidi parties were scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday 23 Sivan to discuss an acceptable agreement regarding the egalitarian prayer area. The chareidim signaled they would be demanding a separate entrance to the egalitarian area, not one that connects to either the men’s area of the Kosel or ezras noshim.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)