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)