At the direct order of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, a session of the Knesset’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation scheduled for Sunday morning was canceled in order to block the advancement of a bill to preserve the kedusha of the Kosel, including the southern section.
The bill, proposed by Noam chairman Avi Moaz, would amend the existing Protection of Holy Spaces law to formalize the status of the entire Kosel site by defining it as a tefilla area under the sole authority of Israel’s Chief Rabbanut to determine tefilla arrangements—effectively banning non-halachic prayer throughout the entire Kosel complex. This would mean the end of tefillos held at the Kosel by Reform groups every Rosh Chodesh and would stymie the Supreme Court’s directive last week to establish a permanent tefilla plaza for Reform groups at the Kosel’s southern plaza.
Following the cancellation of the meeting, Maoz issued a statement that he plans on privately bringing the bill for a preliminary vote in the Knesset on Wednesday. “I call on all Knesset members to vote for the sheleimus of the Kosel and against the Supreme Court and the Bennett plan for the Kosel’s division,” he wrote.
Netanyahu’s move reportedly comes amid significant pressure from Reform organizations in the United States. The Prime Minister’s Office did not provide an official response to the reason for the cancellation. The decision created a political storm, arousing the ire of many coalition members.
Justice and Religious Services Minister Yariv Levin slammed the cancellation of the meeting, stating, “Following my statement on Thursday supporting the Kosel Law, I announced my intention to bring the bill to a vote in the Ministerial Committee for Legislation. Just minutes ago, I was informed by the Government Secretariat that the committee meeting has been canceled.”
“In this situation there is no official government position (due to the cancellation of the meeting). Therefore, I intend to vote in favor of the bill in the Knesset plenum. I call on all Knesset members, especially coalition members, to do the same and to tell the Supreme Court—enough is enough.”
Coalition chairman MK Ofir Katz clarified that if the bill is brought to a preliminary reading on Wednesday, coalition members will be given the opportunity to vote according to their conscience, a relatively unusual step on sensitive issues with political and international implications.
Channel 14 journalist Yinon Magal outlined the behind-the-scenes developments:
1. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Kosel, Minister Levin planned to bring the Protection of Holy Spaces bill for a vote in the Ministerial Committee.
2. Netanyahu asked him not to move forward due to heavy pressure from Reform groups in the United States.
3. Levin refused and insisted on proceeding.
4. In a highly unusual step, the prime minister canceled the meeting.
5. It was subsequently decided that the bill would be submitted on Wednesday as a private bill by MK Avi Maoz.
6. It is expected to pass with the support of the MKs from all of the coalition parties—allowing the legislation to advance while enabling Netanyahu to tell Reform leaders that the matter was ‘not within his control.
On Thursday, Supreme Court justices Yitzchak Amit, Noam Sohlberg, and Daphne Barak-Erez ordered the state to implement a plan to transform the Ezrat Yisrael plaza into a permanent prayer plaza of roughly 900 square meters—about 70% the size of the main men’s plaza.
According to the plan, the area will be paved with permanent stone, expanded to directly adjoin the main Kosel area, and mixed-gender prayer without a mechitza will be allowed at the site. Management of the area would be entrusted to the Reform and Conservative movements—funded by the state at a cost of millions of shekels annually.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
The age of leaderless leaders!
The shortsighted leaders who didn’t pass judicial reforms, who didn’t put up a fight at the very beginning of the the Kosel saga, who didn’t put their foot down to pass a law that will protect yeshiva Bochrim….. have led to this mess
אין לנו להישען אלא על אבינו שבשמים
Dear Yeshiva World News Publishers and Editorial Staff, Eretz Israel Minister Levin, Eretz Israel MK Avi Moaz, et al,
It is necessary to speak about the Separation of Men and Women/Young Girls prior to Chasunah at the ‘Kosel’,
First of all I am very pleased that there are those who wish to keep the proper Halachah and Sanctity to the area known in Eretz Yisroel as the ‘Kosel’. I am a Jewish Woman/Yiddishe Neshami, and I feel very strongly with H”M’s Torah and connected Seforim (of an infinite amount, so far) that when Men Daven it is spoken in Torah, “Men” must arrive at the Beis HaMikdash in Eretz Yisroel for the Major Yiddishe Yom Tov’vm. Women and Children are not mentioned, but may arrive to be seated and standing in a designated Women’s Section. Secondly, in Pirke Avot paraphrased states that excessive Talk with a Woman brings about sin/gehinnom to those who do it or participate in it, leading us to think that Women must not be seated near Men while they Daven because the chance that Women may converse with them and thereby distract the Men from Tefillah which could harm their relationship with H”M, and Thirdly in Shulchan Aruch it states; “4 If a person has not heard Kaddish, Barchu, and Kedushah and desires to be poreis al Shema or to “stand before the ark,” even though there are ten men in the synagogue he must seek out six men — i.e., five in addition to himself — who have not yet heard [these prayers], so that the majority of the quorum [of ten] be constituted by people who have not heard them.” This is crucial to my discussion of a Woman not being considered part of a Minyan. Only Men may Daven and be considered part of a Minyan in Halachach Yiddishe Torah Law (without additions or subtractions to the original law that some jewish goups have done which waters down the true intent and meaning of the Original Torah Law.). Please everyone, be on the same page. It is that at the ‘Kosel’ in Eretz Yisroel, Yerushalayim there must be Original Torah Law decorum. Women, whether they like it or not must somehow come to accept that ‘alternative’ teachings of Torah Law are not stated with the original intent of the original Torah Law. No matter how hard the ‘alternative’ groups feel that this is unacceptable to them, it is the Original Torah Law that has stood the test of time. Please Binyamin Netanyahu and Yitzack Hertz please realize that you must not be frightened about the financial and other ‘powerful’ political base of ‘alternative’ groups. They must know that they can not win this debate over the Mechitzah/Fence that protects Men’s Tefillah Brachas to H”M. There is an acceptable place for Women to Daven to H”M in and it must never ever ever be removed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop accepting intimidation efforts by ‘alternative’ torah groups that want to ‘skirt’ this issue.
With my heartfelt Brachas and Tefilla that H”M has blessed me with, I remain in H”M’s Arms Only,
Rebbetzin Yehudit, Chana, Chaya Mushka for ChaBaD Lubavitch International