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Israeli Gov’t Seeks To Impose Sweeping Restrictions on Worship at Western Wall
(L-R) Rachel Cohen Yeshurun and Lesley Sachs of Women of the Wall, are detained by police for wearing prayer shawls at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Nov. 15, 2012. (Michal Petel/Creative Commons)

Israeli Gov’t Seeks To Impose Sweeping Restrictions on Worship at Western Wall

The Israeli government is moving forward with proposed legislation that imposes new restrictions on freedom of worship at the Western Wall, criminalizing mixed-gender prayer and banning visitors from wearing attire deemed immodest by ultra-Orthodox standards. The bill, filed by Shas MK Uriel Busso, would shut down the pluralistic prayer area and criminalize mixed-gender prayer anywhere at the Western Wall, as well as make playing music or singing at the site without prior approval a criminal offense.

The bill stipulates that it would become prohibited to “hold a ceremony, including a religious ceremony, not in accordance with the site’s traditions, that harms the feelings of the worshipers in relation to the site.” The “site’s traditions” are defined in the bill as being set by the ultra-Orthodox-led Chief Rabbinate.

Violations could be punished by removal from the premises and a six-month jail sentence, a fine of 10,000 shekels (around $2,900), or both.

The bill has drawn fierce condemnation from opposition figures, liberal rights groups, and others, with Women of the Wall calling it an “outrage” and vowing to continue to pray in accordance with its customs. “The implication of the law is that for the first time, women will be prevented by law from praying according to their customs and anyone who doesn’t accept the authority of the Rabbinate will simply become a criminal,” said Women of the Wall.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said the legislation “means one thing: The Western Wall no longer belongs to everybody. The extremist government is continuing to tear the nation of Israel apart. They can’t decide for us who is less Jewish or more Jewish.”

Reform Rabbi and Member of Knesset Gilad Kariv of the Labor party criticized the bill, saying, “The real name of the bill should be: ‘Have you murdered and also inherited?’ The ultra-Orthodox politicians are thwarting the implementation of the historic compromise outline at the Western Wall and are also demanding that the Chief Rabbinate be given a predatory monopoly on this holy site.”

MK Moshe Tur-Paz of Yesh Atid stated that this bill is the best way to ensure that only the ultra-Orthodox will want to come to pray at the Western Wall. He added that the government of Israel, in the Jewish state, is shamelessly alienating Jews from their Judaism.

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