Only in Israel are Liberal Jews threatened with prison for praying

UPDATE 27 February 2026: The Israeli Ambassador to the US assures the CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America that this bill is not government policy and will not pass. There are reasons to believe this is true. As reported in The Jerusalem Post, "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly withdrew the bill from the Ministerial Committee for Legislation earlier this week, likely to avoid triggering a crisis with Diaspora Jewry. It returned as a private member’s bill, sponsored by Noam MK Avi Maoz, with coalition lawmakers granted a free vote, many of whom supported it." A private member's bill with no governmental backing is basically a form of grandstanding. Elections are coming up. Need I say more?

Read here about the beautiful response from our Capital District Board of Rabbis and Cantors. I am so proud of my colleagues.

ORIGINAL POST 26 February 2026: "A bill that would strengthen the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate’s control over the Western Wall, introducing steep penalties for 'desecration' of the holy site, advanced in Israel’s parliament on Wednesday [25 Feb 2026] with the support of nearly half of all lawmakers. If enacted, prayer practices associated with the largest denominations of American Jewry could be punishable by a prison sentence of up to seven years." -- Philissa Cramer, "Bill that would effectively bar egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall advances in Israel’s Knesset," Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Feb 25, 2026.

"Members of [Netanyanu's] coalition are pushing legislation in the Knesset that would prohibit any religious services or activities at the Kotel that do not meet the approval of the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) chief Rabbinate. Under the bill, anyone who publicly leads or engages in prayer contrary to the Rabbinate’s directive would face up to seven years in jail." -- Rabbi Rich Jacobs, the President of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest Jewish movement in North America, and Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal, CEO of the Rabbinical Assembly and the CEO of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), "7 years in prison for praying at the Western Wall? Netanyahu’s coalition is threatening a war on Jewish unity"

UN-BE-LIEV-ABLE. But it is not yet law. And we can take action to try to prevent its passage.

"Fifty-six MKs raised their hands and told millions of Jews worldwide they have no place at our holiest site. Were legislation like this moved forward in any other country — limiting the rights of Jews to pray according to their custom at their holy sites — many of the members of Knesset who supported this legislation may even call it antisemitic. How could it be that the only western democracy without freedom of religion for Jews could be the Jewish state?” -- Yizhar Hess, vice chair of the World Zionist Orgnanization, reported by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

OUTRAGEOUS. But we can take action.

As Rabbis Jacobs and Blumenthal inform us,

"In 2016, a previous Netanyahu-led government approved a compromise to establish a new section of the Kotel for egalitarian prayer to recognize [Jewish religious] pluralism. In that area, located south of the more established space run according to haredi tradition, families and groups may gather without a mechitza, or separation by gender. Liberal Jews can pray and celebrate according to our traditions and practices.

"Yet, after a lengthy and challenging negotiation process in which all parties made painful compromises, Netanyahu immediately set the agreement aside, and successive governments have never fully implemented the plan.

"In practice, the southern egalitarian prayer section is a vibrant space, with thousands coming daily for prayer and to celebrate b’nai mitzvah and other happy occasions. However, even as the Israeli government provides millions of shekels annually for upkeep of the northern section of the Kotel, it has refused to provide equal or adequate funding for security and upkeep to the southern section. Our space lacks full access for those with physical disabilities, its flooring is rotting, and visitors have not been able to touch the actual wall since a stone fell there seven years ago."

I remember praying there. I remember leaving the crowded confines of the Kotel -- the ancient retaining wall of the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif -- and walking south, then descending the stairs to the area known as Robinson's Arch. It had the look of an interrupted archaeological dig, with wooden walkways and excavated rooms, but the sense of freedom was sweet. "This is our Kotel," I remember thinking. The place where Jews whose religious observance doesn't fall inside arba amot ha-halachah, the "four cubits of Jewish law," can pray according to our religious practice.

(The phrase "four cubits of Jewish law" reflects the ancient rabbis' understanding that following halachah/Jewish law places fairly stringent boundaries around one's life, within which one can create much beauty and meaning. An area four cubits on a side is about six feet square.)

I was so happy to know that that there was a place to pray where I wouldn't be subject to sidelong looks from fellow Jews because I was wearing my kippah, much less my tallit -- where I didn't have to decide between wearing those  symbols of Jewish adulthood and approaching the Kotel -- or worse, being told to take them off.

As the rabbis point out, anyone who uses a wheelchair can't even get down to the plaza by Robinson's Arch. In this photo from ten years ago, you can see how difficult it already was to navigate the area for anyone with impaired movement or eyesight.

So "[l]ast week, the Israeli Supreme Court took an important step to push the government to fulfill its 2016 commitment by directing it to stop dragging its feet and finally meet its obligations. In response, MK Avi Maoz, with the support of Justice Minister Yariv Levin and others within the current governing coalition, has sponsored the bill demanding that the entire Kotel, including the area of pluralistic Jewish expression, be brought under the Chief Rabbinate’s control." (Rabbis Jacobs and Blumenthal)

Do we see some cause and effect here???

If I don't sound outraged yet, perhaps it's because this is absolutely surreal. It's like ICE agents (themselves descendents of immigrants) detaining Native Americans (yes, it happened!) on suspicion of being immigrants.

Or maybe there is just so much meshugas (craziness) abroad in the world that this seems all of a piece with it. As Tracey Chapman sang, "Love is hate / War is peace / No is yes / And we're all free."

Or maybe, as ridiculous and offensive and awful as this proposed legislation is, it's hard for me to focus on how the Israeli government proposes to mistreat Jews around prayer practices, when Palestinian Muslims in Gaza are observing and celebrating the holy month of Ramadan in the midst of loss and tragedy engendered primarily by bombs dropped from Israeli air force planes, and scarcity enforced by Israeli control of goods entering Gaza. Thousands of Palestinian have died as a direct result of acts of the Netanyahu government. At least this legislation can only kill the spirit -- though if it passes it will have the potential to lock up bodies as well.

I'd be surprised if it passes. Even the Israeli governing coalition is not indifferent to the outrage of Diaspora Jews. So we can take action. The Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA) offers several ways to get involved in defenting egalitarian prayer at the Kotel. The analogous Conservative organization, MERCAZ USA,  has a petition. We can take action.

And remember that during this month of Ramadan -- as every month -- we can also take action to support Palestinians as they seek to piece together their lives in the ruins of Gaza. Or anyone else who is in need. One of my favorite places to direct tzedakah in the Middle East is World Central Kitchen, precisely because they work in Gaza, Israel, Lebanon and Egypt, Ukraine, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Haiti the US...

We can take action.

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