MIRIAM NAOR

The Supreme Court was hearing a petition of IRAC, an Israeli, civil and women's rights advocacy organization. The Government had turned over the Wailing Wall, the holiest entity in Jerusalem for Jews, ultra orthodox Jews to manage. These particular Jews believed that it was prohibited for a woman to pray at the Wall or read from the Torah of have religious ceremonies at the wall as men did daily, And they would not even allow women to enter the area where the men prayed. They even allowed private orthodox fanatics and thugs to beat women who tried to lead prayers in the public areas near the Wall. IRAQ had previously won a Supreme Court Decision that the Government had to either integrate the existing are or create a separate area where women could have access to practice their religion as they saw fit. By January 2016, the government finally proposed a compromise that included establishing a fully funded government recognized egalitarian prayer space at the Western Wall. However when it came time to implement the agreement, the political situation was that the Benjamin Netanyahu Government found itself in a difficult situation. It was a coalition government that depended open the ultra religious Jewish Political Party for its majority. And the latter were adamant that the government should not go ahead with the agreement it proposed and was ordered by the court. Go the government did nothing. In September of 2016, IRAQ petitioned the Supreme Court to intervene and order the implementation. The government’s attorney at the hearing argued that implementing the agreement would cause the government to fall at a time where Israel needed a strong government to deal with its enemies. The Chief Justice then made the statement of the quotation and instructed the attorney to give the message to the Prime Minister.

The Supreme Court was hearing a petition of IRAC, an Israeli, civil and women's rights advocacy organization. The Government had turned over the Wailing Wall, the holiest entity in Jerusalem for Jews, ultra orthodox Jews to manage. These particular Jews believed that it was prohibited for a woman to pray at the Wall or read from the Torah of have religious ceremonies at the wall as men did daily, And they would not even allow women to enter the area where the men prayed. They even allowed private orthodox fanatics and thugs to beat women who tried to lead prayers in the public areas near the Wall. IRAQ had previously won a Supreme Court Decision that the Government had to either integrate the existing are or create a separate area where women could have access to practice their religion as they saw fit. By January 2016, the government finally proposed a compromise that included establishing a fully funded government recognized egalitarian prayer space at the Western Wall. However when it came time to implement the agreement, the political situation was that the Benjamin Netanyahu Government found itself in a difficult situation. It was a coalition government that depended open the ultra religious Jewish Political Party for its majority. And the latter were adamant that the government should not go ahead with the agreement it proposed and was ordered by the court. Go the government did nothing. In September of 2016, IRAQ petitioned the Supreme Court to intervene and order the implementation. The government’s attorney at the hearing argued that implementing the agreement would cause the government to fall at a time where Israel needed a strong government to deal with its enemies. The Chief Justice then made the statement of the quotation and instructed the attorney to give the message to the Prime Minister.