Western Wall

As Israel continues to face war, the government's focus on divisive legislation is distracting from critical wartime priorities and risking further division within the country.

“Give to the wise, and he will become yet wiser.”

It stipulates that non-Orthodox prayer – such as prayer services organized by women’s groups – constitutes a “desecration” of the holy sites. 

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

All of this began not with Iranians who took the streets, not protesting against uranium enrichment or ballistic missiles, but for freedom, liberty, and basic rights.

A bill amending the Law for the Protection of Holy Places passed a preliminary vote, boosting the Chief Rabbinate’s authority and reigniting debate over religion, state power, and Diaspora ties.

With already strained Jewish unity, a recent Knesset vote sends a message that Israel is prepared to legislate one stream of Judaism’s authority over a site that carries meaning for all.

The bill passed by a margin of 56-47 and will now be discussed in Knesset committee meetings. It will still need to undergo three more plenum readings to become a law. 

The event was organized by Ach Gadol (Big Brother for Lone Soldiers), a nonprofit that provides one-on-one mentorship and community support for soldiers serving in Israel without immediate family.

A new bill aims to give the Chief Rabbinate control over Western Wall prayer arrangements, with coalition lawmakers pushing for its passage.