Gov't approves mixed prayer area at Western Wall
- 8 years ago
The government approved on Sunday the creation of a mixed prayer area at the Western Wall in which both men and women can pray together.
This is an achievement for the Women of the Wall group, which has been fighting for women's prayer rights at the Kotel, aided by both female and male MKs.
The compromise agreement, which was formulated by a team headed by Cabinet Secretary Avichai Mandelblit and signed by Women of the Wall and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, ensures that "the Western Wall will be open and accessible to any Jew seeking to pray in a manner that befits his identify and beliefs."
While voting against the plan, ministers from the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism decided not to use their right of veto to thwart the plan, which would have led to a crisis in the coalition because they view it as "the lesser of evils" compared to previous proposals that allocated larger areas of prayer for the mixed section.
This is an achievement for the Women of the Wall group, which has been fighting for women's prayer rights at the Kotel, aided by both female and male MKs.
The compromise agreement, which was formulated by a team headed by Cabinet Secretary Avichai Mandelblit and signed by Women of the Wall and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, ensures that "the Western Wall will be open and accessible to any Jew seeking to pray in a manner that befits his identify and beliefs."
While voting against the plan, ministers from the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism decided not to use their right of veto to thwart the plan, which would have led to a crisis in the coalition because they view it as "the lesser of evils" compared to previous proposals that allocated larger areas of prayer for the mixed section.