A request from the Women of the Wall (WoW) organization for an officials Chanukah candle lighting ceremony led to a stormy Knesset session.

MK (Meretz) Michal Rozin on Wednesday morning, 20 Kislev, filed a query to Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin regarding the request and the exclusion of women as a result of the male dominated candle lighting at the Kosel.

MK Uri Maklev surprised many during the heated plenum discussion. He said “The chareidi tzibur does not take part in the official candle lighting for they are not conducted in a fashion in line with chareidi life despite being held at the Kosel but they exercise restraint. Why does the state have to address the feeble request of a small group as opposed to the millions who visit the Kosel?”

Rozin responded, “After I learned the Rav of the Kosel plans to block their participation in the Kosel official lighting, I decided to work towards permitting a ceremony in the ezras noshim. The rav called this request ‘a provocation’ and has yet to respond. What the Kosel Rav is offering is to permit women to participate in a ceremony at the balcony which is tantamount to women riding in the back of the bus”.

Levin interjected and instructed MK Rozin to address Rabbi Rabinowitz in a respectful tone.

Minister Levin stated “If one really stands on one’s hind legs in a defiant stance for freedom of worship it is a legitimate position but this demands consistency and I would expect to see MK Rozen at the head of the camp seeking to permit Jews to visit and daven on Har Habayis but there (Har Habayis) you display a position of national responsibility much more in line with the rav of the Kosel. Therefore, I find it hard to be impressed by your ferocious arguments pertaining to violations of freedom of worship”.

Rabbi Rabinowitz has since responded on the matter and is going to permit a women’s candle light with the participation of female cabinet ministers and others, but not as part of the central ceremonies held in the men’s section”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)