Israeli protesters gather outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem on July 1, 2017, to demonstrate against a government decision to abandon a deal to allow women and men to pray together at the Western Wall. Image by Getty Images

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem to protest government moves seen as targeting liberal streams of Judaism.

The protesters who gathered in Jerusalem on Saturday night carried signs including “Judaism without coercion,” and “We are all Women of the Wall.”

The demonstration was organized by liberal movements of Judaism and the Women of the Wall organization.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

“We came to the Wall every month. We ‘voted with our feet.’  We fought for equality. The Prime Minister understood. That’s why he initiated the negotiations. That’s why he brought the agreement to a vote. It gave us hope. Hope for democracy. Hope for the people of Israel,” Anat Hoffman, chairperson of Women of the Wall, said in an address to the crowds. “But suddenly, he changed his mind. Suddenly, he gave in to the ultra-Orthodox.”

The demonstration began after the end of Shabbat with a Havdallah service and religious songs.

Israel’s Cabinet last week froze a previous government decision to expand a non-Orthodox prayer section at the Western Wall.  The same day, a ministerial committee approved a bill that would have made the haredi Orthodox-dominated Chief Rabbinate the only body authorized by the government to perform conversions in Israel. On Friday, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that the legislation will not be considered for six months while a “team” he will appoint comes up with recommendations for an “arrangement” on the issue.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount