Israeli PM: Problems with liberal Jewish prayer at holy site
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Version 0 of 1. JERUSALEM — Israel’s prime minister says “several difficulties have arisen” in a historic agreement that would allow non-Orthodox Jewish prayers at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Netanyahu said Sunday that he was committed to resolving the problem and hoped to propose a solution within 60 days. In a historic move, Israel’s cabinet voted two months ago to build a new plaza for mixed gender prayer at the Western Wall, adjacent to the current Orthodox prayer plaza. It was viewed as a victory for liberal streams of Judaism, which are dominant in the U.S. The Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest prayer site, is administered by ultra-Orthodox authorities, who have a monopoly over religious affairs in Israel and oppose mixed-gender or female-led prayers. Religious elements in Netanyahu’s narrow coalition government oppose the plan. Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |