Clashes broke out at the Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem's Old City, Friday, when the leaders of the Reform and Conservative Jewish movements of North America and Israel along with hundreds of worshippers arrived at the site for Friday and Rosh Hodesh prayers.
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Among those in attendance at the prayers for the first day of the Hebrew month of Adar were the President of the Union for Reform Judaism Rick Jacobs and Israeli Reform Movement head Anna Kislianski.
"We are bolstered by the meeting with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett this week, which was historic in terms of recognition of the liberal movements in Israel and the Diaspora," Kislianski said. "The prime minister spoke with us at length and recognized our need to pray as we do with Israel's help at the wall, without dividers and in an egalitarian and respectful manner."
She continued: "The constant riots, which are also taking place today, justify our demand for immediate implementation of the Western Wall framework. Although they tried to prevent us from entering, we succeeded in entering the Western Wall with Torah scrolls and praying as we do. We expect the Israeli government to implement the Western Wall [compromise] framework as we were promised. We are not tourists here. The Western Wall is ours, too."
Meanwhile, protesting the lack of progress on the compromise, Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee Chairman MK Rabbi Gilad Karib (Labor) brought a Torah scroll to be used by women praying with the Reform and Conservative Jewish leaders at the site.
"The time has come for the prime minister's inner circle to stop sucking up to the Haredi parties and instill the spirit of change, reconciliation, and tolerance of environment established by the current government. I call on the prime minister to meet his commitment and advance the establishment of an egalitarian prayer plaza at the Western Wall immediately," said Kariv.
In a statement, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation said, "Many God-fearing Orthodox girls from around Jerusalem arrived for Rosh Hodesh prayers at the Western Wall Plaza, while in comparison, a small group of around 40 men and women from various movements arrived. Given the vast number of female worshippers, with the arrival of the group of various movements, they were directed toward the vicinity adjacent to the entrance to the Temple Mount. The foundation calls to remove the disputes and protests above the Western Wall Plaza and keep the site holy and unified."
Oren Hoenig, CEO of the Liba Yehudit organization, said: "The darkness is expelled by shining the light. In the face of Reform and Conservative Jews, the general public, the Conservative Jews, the Orthodox, and the secular is united as one unit and [speaking] in one clear voice to prevent the desecration of the Western Wall – a remnant of our temple. The young women of Liba who come to the Western Wall on the 1st of every Hebrew month prayed this morning alongside the young women from the seminars and together sanctified His blessed name.
"It is only through unity that we will defeat the destroyers of Jewish tradition and character," the organization said.
President Isaac Herzog has been hard at work in recent days to keep tensions from overflowing at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City.
With the knowledge the Ukraine conflict has Jews around the world focusing their thoughts on the Western Wall, Herzog hopes to prevent physical confrontations at the site.
Haredi sage Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky had called for protests against the arrival of members of non-Orthodox Jewish movements at the wall, saying, "Reform Jews cause the destruction of the Jewish people …."
Asked how they should protest, Kanievsky replied, "We must shout out in prayer and protest their attempt to harm the sanctity of the Western Wall to repent for their desecration of God."
President's Residence Director-General Eyal Shviki, who Herzog tasked with handling the Western Wall framework, spoke with close associates of Kanievsky in an attempt to lower the flames. Both sides described that conversation as positive.
Israel Hayom has learned that in that conversation, Kanievsky's associated clarified the rabbi's call for protest had largely been directed at women to ensure the situation at the Jerusalem holy site would not get out of hand. Kanievsky said he had called for protesters not to engage in violence, but he believed that from now on they must protest "the difficult blow to the Western Wall in a dignified and suitable manner and sanctify the name of heaven."
"The rabbi warned against being dragged into provocations, but it is my belief that everything ultimately depends on the Reform [Jews] and the [egalitarian movement] Women of the Wall," Israel Cohen, a commentator for the ultra-Orthodox Kol Barama radio station who has close ties to Kanievsky's people, said.
"If they try to bring Torah scrolls in with force, someone on the fringes can always get dragged into [violence], and that is the reason for the hope that the president, as someone is acceptable to everyone, will succeed in lowering the flames," said Cohen.
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