Jewish religious leaders denied entry to Western Wall

Leaders of the Reform and Conservative Jewish movements in North America and Israel on Friday were refused entry to Jerusalem's Western Wall as they accompanied the Women of the Wall group for a worship service.

Carrying Torah scrolls, the leaders led a march of hundreds of worshippers to the Western Wall entrance, where they were stopped by Israeli security guards, Haaretz reported.

After leaving the scrolls behind, they were allowed entry only to the periphery of the plaza, separated from the main area by guards and barred from approaching the worship areas next to the Wall.

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox women crowded the women’s sections to prevent Women of the Wall - a feminist prayer group - from worshipping in the space, as ultra-Orthodox men reportedly shouted and cursed at the group.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said the experience was “demeaning and delegitimizing” with “vile” messages displayed on protest signs.

“We came to the Wall with love, but a lot of people came there with hate,” Jacobs said, Haaretz reported.

“We arrived here from North America where, right now, antisemitism is on the rise. What we encountered today wasn’t antisemitism, but it definitely was hate.” 

Leaders of Women of the Wall said it was “scandalous and infuriating.”

“Look into the eyes of the presidents of the Reform and Conservative movements, who represent millions of Jews around the world, and tell them that they cannot… pray according to their custom,” Women of the Wall CEO Yochi Rappeport said.

Gilad Kariv, a Reform rabbi and Israeli parliament member, said “it’s time for the prime minister’s cronies to… implement the spirit of change, reconciliation, and tolerance,” Haaretz reported.

“I call on the prime minister to live up to his commitments and promote the construction of an egalitarian prayer plaza.”