Back in January, it appeared a compromise had been reached regarding prayer at the Western Wall when the Israeli government approved a plan to expand Robinson’s Arch, the section of the Kotel where some non-Orthodox groups have been praying for years. The proposal aimed to double the size of the area, and included provisions for Torah scrolls and a government-sponsored staff. A single entrance would lead to both sections of the Wall.
The deal appeared to be an acceptable, if imperfect, solution to the historical struggle over who controls the Kotel, with support among the Orthodox (who maintained authority over the largest section of the Wall), Reform and Conservative movements, as well as advocacy groups like Women of the Wall. When it was announced, Jewish Agency chair Natan Sharansky, who helped spearhead the agreement, said, “They all came to the conclusion that they must make serious compromises because they want it to remain one Kotel for one people.”
But nearly six months later, there has been little done to make this ambitious plan a reality, and the situation at the Kotel is unquestionably worse. Two Thursdays ago, hundreds of Conservative and Reform Jews gathered for an egalitarian prayer service at the Kotel’s upper plaza. They were met by ultra-Orthodox protesters who attempted to disrupt the service by singing and dancing loudly, as well as shoving and spitting at the non-Orthodox worshippers. The previous day, an ultra-Orthodox group led by the chief rabbi of Jerusalem had organized its own Orthodox service at Robinson’s Arch.
Israel’s coalition government appears at odds with itself as to how to move forward. In the aftermath of last week’s ugly scene, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “At a time when we are continuing in our efforts to reach a solution that will allow every Jew to feel at home at the Western Wall, there are those who would prefer to divide our people and even declare that other Jews are wicked or not Jews at all.”
His health minister, Yaakov Litzman of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, quickly responded: “At a time when we are acting to continue to preserve this holy place, there are those who would prefer to… harm the holiness of the site and its purity, God forbid.”
Meanwhile, Israel’s High Court has set a June 30 deadline for the government to report on its progress toward making the compromise signed in January a reality. Perhaps last week’s disheartening scenes will spur it to move as quickly as possible to ensure that the Kotel is a place of worship and holiness for all Jews. Time is of the essence.
