JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday has postponed a vote on a bill that would enforce Orthodox-only prayer at the Western Wall, following a court ruling that requires the government to move forward with plans for the site’s egalitarian section.

The legislation, proposed by Knesset member Avi Maoz of the Noam party, would place all areas of the Western Wall plaza under the authority of Israel’s chief rabbis, including the southern Ezrat Yisrael section, and mandate Orthodox prayer customs.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin said he plans to support the measure in the Knesset plenum, despite the ministerial vote being canceled.

The High Court ordered that the government implement changes to allow direct access from Ezrat Yisrael to the main wall, a space intended for non-Orthodox prayer. Petitioners, including Women of the Wall and the Reform movement, have pushed for women to be allowed to conduct prayers and bring Torah scrolls there.

Critics say the proposed bill would restrict religious freedom and alienate Jews in Israel and abroad, while supporters argue it clarifies the role of the Chief Rabbinate at the holy site.