Western Wall captive to ultra-Orthodox establishment, against public will

69% of Jewish Israelis support women's candle lighting ceremonies at Kotel

69% of Jewish Israelis favor allowing women to light Chanukah candles at the Western Wall. This principled position also enjoys a high level of support among voters for the non-Haredi Coalition parties.

27/12/2016 10:48

Tags: Shmuel Rabinovitch ·  Western Wall ·  state ceremonies ·  Chanukah ·  gender discrimination ·  women's rights

69% of the Jewish public in Israel and 76% of the non-Haredi population support allowing women to light Chanukah candles at the Western Wall in the women's section of the Western Wall plaza. 31% oppose this. Among secular Jews, 90% support this, as do 75% of traditional Jews. However, 75% of Zionist Orthodox Jews and 93% of ultra-Orthodox Jews oppose allowing women to light Chanukah candles in the women's section of the Western Wall plaza.

Such were the findings of a survey conducted by the Smith Polling Institute for Hiddush - For Religious Freedom and Equality this month. This telephone survey was conducted among a representative population sample of 500 adult Israeli Jews. The survey examined the Jewish public's attitudes towards women lighting Chanukah candles at the Western Wall plaza and also at the women's section of the Western Wall.

These findings come against the backdrop of the Rabbi of the Western Wall’s refusal to allow female Knesset members to participate in Israel's official State Chanukah candle lighting ceremony at the Western Wall last year, as well as his opposition to the Women of the Wall's Chanukah candle lighting in the women's section of the Western Wall plaza, despite the Attorney General's position and the Women of the Wall’s demands. Survey respondents were asked to support one of the following two positions: 1) the position of the Attorney General - that banning women from participating in official State ceremonies at the Western Wall is unacceptable discrimination, or 2) the position of the Rabbi of the Western Wall - that women should not be allowed to participate in the State's official Chanukah candle lighting ceremonies at the Western Wall plaza or the women's section.

The struggle for the equal status of women and for the value of religious freedom at the Western Wall is on a full collision course with Diaspora Jewry.

Israel must balance its Jewish and democratic identities. Unfortunately, after the Western Wall was liberated in 1967, it was taken prisoner by the ultra-Orthodox establishment, in stark contrast to the public will, which imposed its religious strictures by means of political extortion. The struggle for the equal status of women and for the value of religious freedom at the Western Wall is on a full collision course with Diaspora Jewry. It is time to fulfill the promise of the Declaration of Independence for freedom of religion and conscience, and to return the Western Wall to the entire Jewish people. We cannot accept a repetition of last year's events, when the Rabbi of the Western Wall seated the women on a distant terrace overlooking the State's Chanukah candle lighting ceremony. If the good rabbi doesn't want to include women in the candle lighting ceremony in the men's section of the Western Wall plaza, then the ceremony should be held in the upper Western Wall plaza, which is accessible to both men and women.

The wording of the survey question was as follows:

"There are two positions regarding women's candle lighting at the Western Wall plaza and in the women's section of the Western Wall plaza. Which of these do you support:

1. The position of the Attorney General who maintains that banning women from official State ceremonies at the Western Wall is unacceptable discrimination, or
2. The position of the Rabbi of the Western Wall who opposes letting women light Chanukah candles in State ceremonies at the Western Wall and in the women's section as well."

69% of all respondents expressed their support for allowing women to light Chanukah candles at the Western Wall, and 38% expressed opposition. 75% of Zionist Orthodox Jews oppose this, but 53% of voters for the Zionist Orthodox Jewish Home party support it. This finding demonstrates the significant percentage of traditional and secular voters for the Jewish Home party who take a pluralistic approach to Judaism.

Among the rest of the Coalition parties: 65% of Likud voters, 76% of Kulanu voters, and 92% of Yisrael Beiteinu voters support allowing women to light Chanukah candles at the Western Wall. 89% of Shas and 100% of United Torah Judaism voters oppose this. Among the Opposition parties: 94% of Zionist Union, 89% of Yesh Atid, and 100% of Meretz voters support the right of women to light Chanukah candles at the Western Wall plaza.