Israel’s cabinet has voted to allow non-Orthodox Jewish prayer at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, in a move that means men and women will for the first time be allowed to pray together at the site.
Despite opposition from ultra-Orthodox and religious nationalist elements including key members of his own government, the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, described the plan for a new plaza for mixed-gender prayer – adjacent to the Orthodox prayer plaza but separate from it – as “an appropriate solution, a creative solution” to what he called a “sensitive topic”.
Supporters of the change said it marked a historic show of government support for liberal streams of Judaism. The issue is important to the Jewish community in the US, where the more liberal streams of Judaism dominate, and whose continued support for Israel Mr Netanyahu is attempting to ensure.
The Jewish Federations of North America, an umbrella group of Jewish communities, issued a statement calling the decision a “dramatic, unprecedented and critical acknowledgement” that the holy site should incorporate liberal Jewish prayer traditions.
The Western Wall, a remnant of the ancient Jewish Temple complex, is the holiest site where Jews may pray. The site is administered by ultra-Orthodox rabbinic authorities, which have a monopoly over religious affairs in Israel.
AP
