The Kotel
The government's decision from the beginning of this week to freeze the Kosel Plan in addition to its approval of the bill about conversions, keeping them in the hands of the official Rabbinate, in the ministerial committee, developed on Monday into a political storm when factors mainly from the Opposition turned the issue into a rift between "American Jewry" and the Israeli government.
In the first step, the Jewish Agency announced on Monday the cancellation of a dinner which had been scheduled in the Knesset, to be attended by Prime Minister Netanyahu and the J. A. trustee board. An official memo stated that "the Jewish Agency Trustee Board has completely changed its agenda for the upcoming two days of the congress it was staging in Jerusalem, so as to discuss and deal with the repercussions of these decisions."
Simultaneously, the heads of the Reform Movement here and in the world cancelled planned meetings on Thursday with the Prime Minister. Rick Jacobs, President of the Reform Movement in North America and member of the Trusteeship Board of the Jewish Agency said, "We cannot continue the routine of such meetings as if nothing has happened. Removing the Kotel Plan and passing the bill regarding conversion are the very decisive point of an acute crisis between the Israeli government and Diaspora Jewry. We feel that at this juncture, there is nothing more to discuss with the Prime Minister."
In their public statements, and in press reports, the issue was defined as an affront to "American" Jewry, as if Reform are a dominant part of the American Jewish community. In fact they are an elderly and shrinking community and do not represent American Jewry at all.
In reaction, Chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni, presented an urgent motion which stated: "The Board of the Jewish Agency cancelled a dinner with the Prime Minister in reaction to an agreement over the Conversion bill as an attempt to threaten the Prime Minister. This must be regarded in full severity and the Knesset must deal with this with utmost urgency."
Rabbi Gafni added, "The Jewish Agency has long since lost its relevancy; it causes a schism in the nation. I stress that we have no interest in promoting legislation or government decisions; we do have an interest in preserving the status quo. The Jewish Agency resembles in this matter a man who murdered his father and asks for judicial clemency on the grounds that he is an orphan. The Agency has presented appeals to the High Court regarding the Kotel and now they come with the argument that the government has arrived at certain decisions."
Rabbi Gafni meant that the government acted in response to High Court actions that had been taken as a result of cases brought by the Reform movement, so that they are the real cause of the latest actions.
MK Rabbi Uri Maklev noted, "The aggressive reactions of the Reform Movement and the Jewish Agency again quash the image they seek to create for themselves as if they are congenial and affable. We see how they blatantly react and deal with the issues. This is how the Reform act in Israel and it is good that the mask has finally been removed from their face. The truth is that the Jewish Agency does not represent the majority of Jews in America."
MK Rabbi Yaakov Asher also presented an urgent motion, saying, "The Israeli government has made a decision that it is committed to preserving the sanctity of the remnant of our Beit Hamikdash. Representatives from organizations throughout the world which persecute Torah true Jewry are dissatisfied with the decision determining to keep and preserve the Kotel as the remnant of the Beit Hamikdash. They attempt to influence those who determine policy by threats that the government decision will lead to a world sanction of Jewry. Such talk of threats designed to impose the will of policy determiners is very severe and the Knesset must call for a discussion on this in the full Knesset plenum."
One of the members of Shas, Rabbi Yitzchak Cohen, said that the entire approach of the Reform movement in fighting for space at the Kotel is hypocritical, since they do respect the Beis Hamikdash nor pray for a return of the worship in it.
