Board of Deputies anger over ‘disturbing harassment’ of women at Western Wall
Explanation demanded from World Zionist Organisation over targeting of women praying at holy site.
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
The Board of Deputies president has written an unprecedented letter to the chair of World Zionist Organisation demanding an “explanation and calling for urgent remedial action” over the violent harassment of women praying at the Western Wall.
Board president Marie van der Zyl say it understands those responsible for the harassement, during the Women of the Wall group’s monthly service, were “brought to the event under the auspices of the WZO.”
It her strongly worded letter, van der Zyl names two specific WZO’s departments as being at the centre of the incidents.
The letter, also sent to Michael Siegal, chairman of the board of governors of the Jewish Agency, adds: “The Kotel is a holy place for Jews of all denominations and its sanctity must be respected along with the right of all Jews to pray there.”
The Board’s president then says she is “extremely distressed that the WZO, a national institution with such an illustrious history, would have engaged in an action that so clearly antithetical to its values.”
She then demands an “explanation for this extremely disturbing incident” with an assurance that WZO will not engage in such conduct in the future.
Photos from earlier this month showed a woman raising a WZO flag before disruptions to the monthly Rosh Chodesh service by the Women of the Wall took place.
There were claims ultra-orthodox girls had been bussed into the Kotel, who then engaged in pushing, shouting and even spitting at the women attempting to pray.
In a complaint sent to WZO president Yaakov Hagoel immediately after their morning prayer service, leaders of Women of the Wall wrote: “We are stunned and pained by the fact that we have been cursed, hit and spat on this morning by ultra-Orthodox seminary girls carrying WZO flags. We don’t understand how and why you approved such an event. What were you thinking when you joined forces with Liba, which has been fighting us with violence for years? Why did you co-operate with an extremist organization that wants to harm worshippers at the Western Wall?”
Siegal, chairman of the board of governors of the Jewish Agency, was also sent the letter.
The WZO said in a statement that together with other groups, it had organized several events to mark Israeli Independence Day. “Anything else attributed to us is groundless,” it said. “We view gravely any attempt to create a provocation over these festive events.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
