Israel police guard women praying at Jewish site
Source: Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli police with metal barriers and human chains on Friday held back thousands of ultra-Orthodox protesters who tried to prevent a liberal Jewish women's group from praying at a key holy site, the first time police have come down on the side of the women and not the protesters. The switch followed a court order backing the right of the women to pray at the Western Wall in the Old City with practices Orthodox Jews insist are the role of men alone.
The "Women of the Wall" group has been holding monthly prayer services on the first day of the Hebrew month at the Western Wall in Jerusalem for more than two decades, wearing prayer shawls and performing religious rituals reserved for men under Orthodox Judaism. Accused by ultra-Orthodox leaders of violating "local custom" at the holy site, many of the group's members have been arrested.
On Friday the tables were turned because of the court ruling. Police protected the women and arrested three ultra-Orthodox men for disorderly conduct, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.
It's a turning point for the group. Along with the arrests, the women have faced heckling and legal battles in a struggle to attain what they say is their right: to worship at the wall the holiest place where Jews can pray as men do. Then last month a Jerusalem court instructed police to stop detaining the women.
Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/israel-police-guard-women-praying-jewish-070503660.html
freshwest
(53,661 posts)elleng
(131,073 posts)Poll_Blind
(23,864 posts)PB
sakabatou
(42,170 posts)women COULD pray at the wall. The only separation was a curtain between the men and women, like in an Orthodox synagogue. Were women not allowed to go to the wall itself?
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)to the wall (well, since it's been under Israeli control) but there has been a separation. Good for these women fighting against it. And good for the police protecting them from the frothing mobs of religious fanatics.
sakabatou
(42,170 posts)leftynyc
(26,060 posts)Half-Century Man
(5,279 posts)G*D made half the population female, why would you think the sound of their voices in prayer would be unwelcome?
SunSeeker
(51,659 posts)byeya
(2,842 posts)Mosby
(16,342 posts)Which is not shared by the other 85% of world Jewry.