Thousands of Haredi Jews gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Friday to protest against the egalitarian movement Women of the Wall, whose members called for a demonstration at the fraught holy site.
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Police set up metal barricades and deployed in large numbers to hold back the mostly male protesters, who blew whistles and occasionally surged forward only to be pushed back. The women carried empty mantles used to cloak Torah scrolls to protest the prohibition on bringing the scrolls themselves into the women's section.
Anat Hoffman, the founder of the group, said they are "fighting for equality and religious pluralism and justice."
"We cannot read from the Torah in the women's section in 2021," she said. "Why not? Why the hell not?"
MK Itamar Ben Gvir approached the barricades with his entourage and argued with one of the women shouting, "don't harm the Western Wall."
He left minutes later, as supporters of the women replied, "Ben Gvir, go home!"
Earlier this week, the group announced that it planned to protest at the holy site against a ban that prohibits women from publicly reciting the Torah at the compound, carrying 70 empty Torah scrolls.
"We are discriminated against and excluded in the holiest place for Jews," Yochi Rappeport, director of the Women of the Wall, said. "All that is left for us to do is hold empty Torah scroll covers to protest the terrible injustice."
The move garnered criticism from Haredi Knesset members, who called on followers to arrive at the Western Wall en masse to prevent the "desecration of the remnant of our Temple."
Commotions at the Western Wall between the Women of the Wall and Haredim are not uncommon, as the ultra-Orthodox community has long opposed the group's activities, such as women wearing tefillin or praying with a Torah scroll.
However, tensions have escalated in recent months after the activists' monthly prayers at the site were joined by Labor MK Gilad Kariv, who was the executive director of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism before becoming a lawmaker.
The Sephardi ultra-Orthodox Shas party claimed that the protest was an attempt by Kariv, a reform rabbi, to bring a Torah scroll into the Western Wall compound.
On Thursday, President Isaac Herzog called on Kariv to refrain from attending the protest in an effort to "minimize unnecessary tensions."
The thought of confrontations between an elected official and the public at the Western Wall, the holiest place to Jews, causes me great anguish, Herzog said in a statement. He called on all parties to "exhibit restraint and mutual respect in the hope of finding the path to peace within our nation."
Herzog also instructed Eyal Shviki, director-general of the President's Residence, to invite all parties involved in the commotions for a meeting with the president in order to find a solution.
Kariv accepted Herzog's request and agreed not to attend Friday's protest.
"I thank the president for his efforts to prevent an unprecedented clash at the Western Wall compound," he said in a statement. "Once again, it's clear that the Women of the Wall and the non-Orthodox movements are the side that believes in compromise and negotiations."
With the government having passed the state budget, both ultra-Orthodox lawmakers and the Women of the Wall understand that the proposal to expand the Western Wall compound in a way that creates a permanent pluralistic prayer section is back on the table.
The bill was approved in 2016, but was not finalized due to pressure from Haredi MKs.
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