Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush slammed the president harshly, citing it was “very unfortunate that what the American president understood during his visit to the Kosel a month ago does not understand the Israeli Jewish president”, referring to remarks made by President Rivlin regarding the status of the Kosel.

HaMevaser reports that religious figures reacted with pain and scorn to the president’s words and said: “How did the President of Israel dare to open his mouth against gedolei yisrael, and even added insult to injury by using Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel, their ways and in their holiness.”

The newspaper brings public figures who mentioned that this is not the first time that the president intervenes in issues that are not his agenda as a public figure intervened a few months ago on public transport on the Shabbos.

“Even without these serious things, the president’s repeated intervention in public issues that belong only to the Knesset and the government is in itself an unacceptable act,” they say. “The elected officials are charged with dealing with these issues, and not with the president of the state who is supposed to unify the people, Unnecessarily, and to provoke hundreds of thousands of Jews who are in pain for the grave harm to the Jewish people.”

“It is fitting for Rivlin to retract his harsh and insulting words and to ask the forgiveness of the great rabbis of Israel who ordered the cancellation of the Kosel’s layout out of deep concern for the sanctity of the Kosel to save it from groups that have nothing to do with Judaism and seek to undermine its holiness R”L, add public figures.

As reported by YWN-ISRAEL, the president addressed the Makor Rishon conference to cancel the outline of the Kosel and said that “an outline that was formulated in consultation and responsibility of the greatest of Israel has been missed here.”

According to Rivlin, this is a “blueprint that does not need to be recognized in any way by the streams of Judaism, which preserves the Kosel Plaza as a ‘synagogue’ that follows the rules of Jewish law.”

The president criticized the cancellation of the plan by the chareidi parties on the orders of the gedolei torah and Moetzas Gedolei Hatorah, and said: “I regret that a process that was conducted in the way of Beis Hillel was thwarted by a nucleus that acted in the way of Beis Shammai.”

“It was a courageous process that the government had prepared for a lead that could have strengthened the Jewish people if it had been implemented,” he said. “Over time, we will not be able to escape from returning to the table and reaching responsibility for the Kosle.”

Regarding giyur, Rivlin said, “On the issue of conversion, it is hard to imagine how it will be possible to reach understandings on the subject.”

“The responsibility to find solutions that will ensure the peace of the Jewish and Israeli home is at the door of the government, with all its components and shades,” he concluded.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)