Despite a High Court ruling not to gather at the Western Wall
Plaza a group of women stirring controversy every Rosh
Chodesh continues to sully the sanctity of the Kosel Maarovi
and the sensitivities of visitors coming to pray. The group
is planning to meet at the Kosel on Rosh Chodesh Tammuz as
well, with unseemly ceremonies scheduled for Thursday and
Friday.
Known as Women of the Wall the group meets every Rosh Chodesh
to hold ceremonies in which they wear tallisos and
hold public Torah readings. On Rosh Chodesh Sivan a handful
of them managed to provoke other visitors and to disturb men
and women who had come peacefully to pray. Many of those on
hand expressed their resentment and their surprise that the
police and the justice system did not take action to enforce
the High Court decision prohibiting their gatherings in the
main part of the Western Wall Plaza, since they have an
alternate site near Robinson's Arch.
The rov of the Kosel, HaRav Shmuel Rabinovitz, contacted
police officials, the State Prosecutor and recently the
Attorney General to make them aware of these disturbing
gatherings, saying their sole intention is to provoke the
public and offend other people's sensitivities.
"As a result of the High Court ruling, the Government of
Israel built an otherwise needless alternative site at a cost
of NIS 2 million for this group of provocative women," HaRav
Rabinovitz said Monday. "Our claim all along that their only
intention is provocation has proven itself. The police
authorities must prevent their entry into the Western Wall
Plaza in order to preserve the sanctity of the site."
