Israeli Supreme Court Ruling: Israel

Israel Dept: The move comes after more than two decades of civil disobedience by a group called Women of the Wall against regulations, legislation and a 2003 Israeli Supreme Court ruling that allow for gender division at the wall, one of Judaism s holiest sites, and prohibit women from carrying a Torah or wearing prayer shawls there, according to Globe and Mail. The Prime Minister thinks the Western Wall has to be a site that expresses the unity of the Jewish people, both inside Israel and outside the state of Israel, Ron Dermer, Mr. Netanyahu s senior adviser, said in an interview Tuesday. He wants to preserve the unity of world Jewry. This is an important component of Israel s strength and video: Romney stops at Jewish holy site in Israel Although the movement has struggled to gain traction in Israel, where the ultra-Orthodox retain great sway over public life, the issue has deepened a divide between the Jewish state and the Jewish diaspora at a time when Israel is battling international isolation over its settlement policy. Critics, particularly leaders of the reform and conservative movements in the United States, complain that the government s recent aggressive enforcement of restrictions at the wall has turned a national monument into an ultra-Orthodox synagogue. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.