President Isaac Herzog met with representatives of the Israeli Reform and Conservative movements and the egalitarian group Women of the Wall Wednesday as part of attempts to encourage dialogue, acceptance, and unity among all sectors of Israeli society.
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Also present at the meeting were and Blue and White MK Alon Tal, Labor MK Gilad Kariv, who is also a reform rabbi, and Director General of the President's Residence Eyal Shviki.
Following November's clashes at the Western Wall between ultra-Orthodox worshippers and Women of the Wall activists, Herzog instructed Shviki to invite all parties involved in the commotions for a meeting in order to find a solution.
At the gathering, each denomination presented its respective views and proposals. Herzog listened to the representatives and condemned all forms of physical and verbal violence and stressed that "the Western Wall is a sacred place for all of the Jewish people in Israel and the Diaspora and one must act responsibly and with restraint and try to find paths of peace among all groups within our people in Israel and the Diaspora."
Following the meeting, Kariv issued a statement."In our meeting today [Wednesday] with the president of Israel, I clarified that we expect the implementation of the Western Wall outline, which allows all Jewish from the country and the Diaspora to pray at the site according to their custom, without creating unnecessary friction and controversy," he said.
"I stressed that we will not fall for the dangerous and inciting campaign led by Opposition Leader [Benjamin] Netanyahu and his associates, who are trying to stir tension at the Western Wall and sow hatred among Jewish denominations for political and personal reasons."
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