A key Knesset committee on Monday approved moving forward with legislation that would strengthen the authority of the Chief Rabbinate over the Kosel area, advancing the proposal to the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee in preparation for its first reading in the Knesset plenum.

The committee that will now handle the bill is headed by MK Simcha Rothman of the Religious Zionism party, who has often worked closely with the chareidi parties on matters relating to religion and state.

The legislation, introduced by MK Avi Maoz of the Noam party, had already passed its initial stage last month. It seeks to address a recent High Court ruling that directed the government to proceed with plans to upgrade the separate area near the Kosel designated for non-Orthodox prayer.

Those plans trace back to an arrangement from roughly a decade ago, during the tenure of then-Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, which proposed the creation of a formalized space for pluralistic prayer at the site. That arrangement has remained largely stalled.

Under the current proposal, final authority over all sections of the Kosel, including the adjacent plaza used by non-Orthodox groups, would be placed in the hands of the two chief rabbis of Israel. The bill would also define any conduct at the site that runs contrary to their directives as a “desecration” of a holy place.

As written, the legislation stipulates that such a violation could carry a penalty of up to seven years in prison.

MK Maoz welcomed the bill’s progress, stating that it brings closer the goal of limiting the involvement of the High Court in matters relating to the Kosel. He said the move would return oversight of the site “to its natural and proper place, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and will safeguard the sanctity of the remnant of our Holy Temple.”

The advancement of the bill, of course, prompted sharp criticism from leaders of Reform and other non-Orthodox movements, who argued that the legislation marginalizes large segments of world Jewry.

The radical, trouble-making group Women of the Wall, which advocates for expanded prayer rights at the site, also voiced strong opposition. “You have to rub your eyes in disbelief,” the organization said in a statement.

The bill had previously passed its preliminary reading in the Knesset by a vote of 56–47.

{Matzav.com}