Monday morning a few minutes after nine, a group of no more
than twenty Reform Jews arrived at the Kosel where they held
a very noisy prayer gathering. They were shielded by a heavy
police guard. Hundreds of Jews registered their distress at
this provocative violation of universal Jewish tradition.
The Reform -- men and women together -- carried a sefer
Torah and were greeted by hundreds of daveners who
had responded to the call to come to the Kosel to express
their pain at the desecration of the mokom haMikdash,
the only remnant of the holy Beis Hamikdash that united
all Jews. Throughout the incident, police brutally pushed
back the chareidi crowd.
The police put barriers around the Reform, whom they allowed
to gather at the entrance to the Kosel Plaza in the parking
lot reserved for important public figures and the police.
This was in violation of the guidelines of the Attorney
General, who stated that the status quo at the Kosel is in
force as long as the judicial deliberations over where the
Reform may pray have not terminated, and thus they may only
assemble outside of the Kosel plaza, near the bus stop.
MK Rabbi Avrohom Lazerson, who arrived on the site to express
his sharp protest -- the protest of the entire Jewish world --
over the terrible desecration of the mokom haMikdash,
was shouted at by the Reform group. In keeping with the
guidelines of gedolei Yisroel not to hold any dialogue
with the Reform, Rabbi Lazerson did not respond.
Rabbi Lazerson contacted the Minister of Internal Security,
who is responsible for the police, and complained about the
Reform provocation and lack of consideration for the feelings
of millions of Jews around the world, taking place under
police protection. The Minister replied that the police were
acting in accordance with the guidelines of the Attorney
General. However, later Rabbi Lazerson saw Attorney General
Rubinstein at the Knesset, and the latter said that he
permitted the gathering only outside the Kosel plaza.
Senior officials of the Religious Affairs Ministry as well as
those of the Nationwide Center for Holy Sites, complained
that the police had not informed them of the Reform plans in
advance, and had ignored the opinion of the Attorney General
which forbids Reform prayer within the Kosel plaza.
The Commissioner of the Holy Sites, Oded Weiner, was present
on Monday morning and told the police that the illegal
ceremony should be prohibited and the Reform removed. However
the police ignored him and allowed the continuation of the
illegal disruption of public order in violation of the law
and of thousands of years of Jewish tradition.
Deputy Religious Affairs Minister Rabbi Aryeh Gamliel told
the legal counsel of his ministry to file a complaint with
the police against the Reform leaders, as well as a complaint
against the policemen who enabled the Reform to hold their
rite at the Kosel in violation of the law, while causing a
provocation, goading the worshipers at the Kosel, and
disrupting the public peace.
The issue of a place for the Reform in the Kosel area for
prayer in mixed groups, has been under judicial discussion
for a number of years. The High Court, asked that the parties
involved reach a solution among themselves. The Reform were
offered a number of alternative places for their use, outside
of the Kosel plaza where they would not disturb the thousands
who pray regularly there but they rejected them all. Up to
now, no compromise has been reached on the issue, as the
Reform refuse to consider or propose any alternative that
will not publicly violate the sensitivities of Jews from all
over the world who come to visit this last remnant of the
Beis Hamikdash.
The Reform planned their gathering at the Kosel this past
Monday in order to establish their presence there, as a
bargaining position in the long negotiations. They asked the
Police to grant them protection. The Religious Affairs
Ministry said that the Police did not inform them of the
Reform plans even though they are responsible for the
kedusha of the place.
The spokesman of Jerusalem's Police Department, Police
Superintendent Shmulik Ben-Rubi said that those in the
Ministry who were supposed know about the matter, were
informed of it.
Jerusalem's chareidi residents had been called to come to the
Kosel in order to safeguard it against the Reform and
Conservative destroyers of our faith, and were asked, as
always, to behave with restraint, and not to resort to
behavior which is against the Torah's way, and which does not
suit the mokom kodosh.
