Diaspora Minister Nachman Shai said today (Monday), at the launch of the 'Lobby for Religious Freedom and Pluralistic Jewish Renewal', that the issue of the Western Wall is an "elephant" in relations between Israel and the Jewish community in the United States.
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""The night before I was sworn into the Knesset, I went to the Western Wall," Minister Shai said. "I went to both extensions - both the illuminated one and the smaller, darker one. Because I thought from the first moment that both extensions had equal importance.".
He stated: "The outline of the Western Wall will be returned to its place.".
He said that Naftali Bennett and Religious Services Minister Matan Kahane support the Western Wall plan. "I think it enjoys a broad consensus in the government. The Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, our parties, even the Minister of Religious Affairs stand with us on this issue, even Ze'ev Elkin.".
He emphasized: "We will reach an agreement and we will implement it. It is more significant in terms of the symbolism of the matter, that we can finally get this elephant out of the room and return to a normal working relationship with the broad, diverse, and pluralistic Jewry in the United States that is waiting for it.".
""This is very important, far beyond the issue itself, because we have a diverse relationship with the Jewish community in the United States. We need it, it needs us, and in the middle is this elephant, so let's move it out of there.""
Minister Merav Michaeli said at the launch: "The fact that Israeli citizens have become accustomed to treating the Western Wall as an ultra-Orthodox synagogue is a mistake. It will not be enough to create an equal area, one day we will have to liberate the Western Wall again.".
MK Michal Waldiger responded: "Minister Michaeli treats her own people as enemies. There is no other way to understand her words in the 'religious freedom' lobby - 'We will have to liberate the Western Wall again.' From someone who said that a demonstration against Netanyahu is more important than praying at the Western Wall - we don't hear any moral sermons.".
