Agricultural Minister: Western Wall Section For Reform Jews “Violates Jewish Tradition”

Jerusalem (TPS) – Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his support at the cabinet meeting on Sunday, January 31 for the establishment of a prayer section for Reform Jews at the Western Wall. The designated area would be located directly south of the current Western Wall plaza, underneath Robinson’s Arch at the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount walls.

“While I know that this is a delicate issue, I think that this is a fair and creative solution,” said the prime minister.

Although the section is outside the current Western Wall plaza, the proposal to build it has been a source of contention among members of Netanyahu’s coalition. “The proposal violates Jewish tradition and causes unnecessary conflict,” argued Agricultural Minister Uri Ariel (of the Jewish Home).

The Jewish Home party is one of three religious parties in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s coalition. The other two religious parties in the coalition, the (Sephardic) Shas party and the (Ashkenazi) United Torah Judaism party, are considered ultra-Orthodox and are likely to strongly oppose such a proposal.

While the Jewish Home identifies as a religious party representing the interests of Israel’s so-called national-religious Zionist community, the party’s members of Knesset appear to be divided on the issue. Jewish Home Chairman Naftali Bennett had previously proposed that a section for Reform Jews at the Western Wall, be built.

“Naftali Bennett broke the standstill two years ago and found an immediate solution,” the office said in a statement. “He built the [southern] complex and the proposal would now make this an official government decision.”

However, Minister Ariel believes the proposal is a threat to Jewish religious tradition.

“The proposal is unnecessary and offends the Jewish tradition that is important to us,” Minister Ariel claimed. “The Reform Jews in Israel and from overseas in particular are deliberately violating the values ??that we hold dear. Instituting space for them at the Western Wall would offend Israeli citizens who maintain the [Jewish] tradition.”

Minister Ariel also views the proposal as a usurpation of an important role of Israel’s chief rabbinate.

“The expropriation of the site from the control of the chief rabbinate founded by Rabbi Kook of blessed memory is a slippery slope that threatens the future of relations between different sects of the Jewish people,” argued Minister Ariel.

Israel’s current chief rabbinate was founded in the pre-state era when Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook, who is known as the forerunner of modern-day religious Zionism, served as chief rabbi of the Jewish community in the Land of Israel.

The rabbinate has exercised control over a number of affairs in Israel that pertain to religious matters, such as marriage, divorce, and burial rights. The refusal of the rabbinate to accept the validity of the standards and requirements of non-Orthodox Jewish streams has greatly contributed to the rabbinate becoming a source of contention between Israel and the Jewish diaspora.

Ultimately, Minister Ariel believes that such a proposal would lead to further infighting in Israel. “The Western Wall has always been a unifying location for the Jewish people, and the current proposal will only create conflict and cause divisions,” Minister Ariel said.