Members of the Knesset Interior Committee on Tuesday morning 7 Cheshvan visited the Kosel and were given and explanation regarding the egalitarian prayer area and the position of the new area vis-à-vis the Kosel men and women’s sections. Committee chair, MK (Likud) David Amsellem called to abolish the arrangement that was approved by the cabinet.

About six months ago, the cabinet gave its approval for a separate area at the Kosel for egalitarian prayer, a move that was supported by the chareidi parties in the hope of keeping the Reform and Conservative followers away from the Kosel. However, following the approval the chareidim had a change of heart and have been opposing the arrangement since, warning it may lead to a coalition crisis. Minister of Religious Services (Shas) David Azoulai has since refused to sign on the necessary papers to implement the plan.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu then handed the matter to a special committee to make its recommendations. Mr. Netanyahu still awaits the committee’s recommendations.

The Reform and Conservative Movements along with the Women of the Wall (WoW) organization have stepped up their provocations, as was seen at the Kosel this past Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan when Sifrei Torah were brought into the Ezras Noshim.

Chareidi MKs did not take part in the Tuesday Kosel tour since delegates from the Reform Movement took part in the event. Taking part in the visit to the Kosel were MK Michal Rozen (Meretz), who expressed her dissatisfaction and anger after being told she may not enter the men’s section.

She told the press “This morning during an official visit, we, elected officials, were held outside of the Kosel while MKs were permitted inside to daven. This is the same way the Government of Israel is driving out millions including Diaspora Jewry and Free Judaism in Israel. We are Jewish enough for the cabinet to lobby for Israel in the Diaspora but not enough to feel like Jews at home in the State of Israel in the national homeland for all Jews”.

From the Kosel the committee members headed to Knesset for a session during which MK (Machane Tzioni) Nachman Shai said “Today is Election Day in the United States. The first to come to Israel’s assistance towards building the bridge with the new administration will be the Jews of the US, the Reform and Conservative, which represent two-thirds of the Jews in the USA. America has always stood at our side in the most difficult diplomatic, economic and security matters. They have always been and will be there. All they ask is that Israel stand behind its decisions. We must go back and implement the [egalitarian] arrangement [at the Kosel].

MK (Yahadut Hatorah) Yisrael Eichler told Rozen “A group of Reform does not represent America Jewry. They are the Reform sikrikim who work against Israel. This is not a battle over the Kosel, but against Yiddishkheit in the public space, which they wish to ban. The founders of the Reform Movement said ‘היה אדם בצאתך ויהודי באהלך’”.

The biggest surprise however came from Amsellem, the chair of the committee, who called to abolish the arrangement that would lead to the egalitarian prayer area.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)