The Western Wall
Photo: Eli Mandelbaum
Minister didn't know of the vote to freeze Kotel’s egalitarian area plans
A few hours before the government's vote to cancel the development on the egalitarian section at the Western Wall, members of the Finance Ministry—having no idea that a vote to cancel it will shortly take place—approve a transfer of more than NIS 19 million to the Israel Antiquities Authority to construct said egalitarian section.
The government's decision to freeze progress on plans to construct an egalitarian section at the Western Wall sparked a storm in the political system, with ministers and coalition officials saying they did not know that the issue was even being discussed Sunday.
Hours before the decision, three members of the Ministry of Finance assembled and approved a budgetary transfer of more than NIS 19 million to the Antiquities Authority to construct the egalitarian section at the Western Wall, which was supposed to serve non-Orthodox Jews.
Photo: AP
According to the meetings' minutes, the three apparently had no idea that the plan would be canceled a few hours later. "On January 30, 2016, the government decided to adopt the recommendations of the advisory team on the issue of prayer arrangements at the Western Wall," the explanatory notes read.
"The decision states that the southern prayer area will be physically coordinated as a place of worship in which pluralistic and egalitarian prayer will be conducted, which will provide a solution for worshipers who do not wish to pray according to the Orthodox Jewish tradition of the Chief Rabbinate."
"The project that the Ministry is interested in promoting includes detailed planning, renewal of the building permit and development of the southern prayer plaza. In addition, the Ministry is interested in requesting archaeological excavations for the restoration and treatment of the archaeological area of the project."
The approval of the budget was also signed by the Accountant General in the Finance Ministry, Rony Hizkiyahu, and next to it the date of the signing: 25 June 2017.
Rony Hizkiyahu (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
'Some of the ministers left without knowing the issue is being raised'
At the same time, cabinet ministers defined the handling of the Western Wall's egalitarian section as a "snatch." A senior coalition official told Ynet, "The prime minister is simply consciously rolling this hot potato into (the hands of Attorney General Avichai) Mandelblit, and it is clear that Mandelblit will not be indifferent to the snatch, and the result will be that (the progress on plan for the egalitarian section) will take place."A senior minister said that the issue had not been on the agenda and most of the ministers were not aware of it at all.
"Such a discussion taking place as an afterthought? Some of the ministers already left without knowing that the issue is even being raised, and that is problematic."
Other coalition members argued that the lack of a comprehensive discussion on the issue was unacceptable."No one knew the subject was coming up," said a member of the coalition. "They took a complex and explosive issue and dealt with it in such an inappropriate manner.
"It is outrageous and the result will be that this plan will live on. This is a plan we all can live with, and if the ministers knew it was being raised into question, they would have made that point clear."
(Translated & edited by Lior Mor)
