Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl, the rov of the Old City of Yerushalayim, strongly opposes Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s decision to “unfreeze” the outline of the Kosel proposal and prohibit the use of mechitzos in the Ezras Yisroel section, which was given to the Reform and Conservative movements who operate contrary to halacha.
In a letter addressed to Rav Shmuel Rabinowitz, rov of the Kosel and mekomos hakedoshim, as well as to Mordechai Eliav, Director of the Western Wall Heritage Fund, and Herzl Ben Ari, Director of the Society for the Development of the Jewish Quarter, Rav Nebenzahl writes that the decision to ban mechitzos at the so-called egalitarian section of the Kosel is contrary to the halacha, and that everything must be done to cancel it, and doubly so when these groups that work against halacha constantly seek to enter the grounds of the women’s plaza at the Kosel and behave there in a way that is contrary to the tradition of Klal Yisroel, while harming the holy places of Eretz Yisroel and mispallalim.”
“Of course, everything must be done with reason, wisdom and darchei noam, and not violence,” he said. “Derocheha darchei noam vechol nesivoseha shalom.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
When asked by a religious reporter why the government is prohibiting the use of mechitzos in the Ezras Yisroel section of the Kosel, one goverment official said, “Because we don’t believe in separating one person from another.”
When the government official replied in the affirmative to the reporter’s query asking him if he believed in the concept of separation of religion and state, the reporter told him, “Then please see to it that our religious and holy site of prayer is separated, and protected, from the irreverent and profane claws of government. Anull the mechitzo prohibition now.”
Why are people obsessed with this issue? Let them do what they want. There are far more serious problems in the Jewish world and those need our attention.
When they brought a tzelem into the Heichal some people also said “There are far more serious problems in the Jewish world and those need our attention”.
Set me. The Chinese are bad but ease me to say it is not a One China policy the world needs but a One Israel.
No two state brag free. No turn off at the kosel. Israel and its land, laws and latitude. We need tragedy to stop.
Okay. I hear you.