Israel detains 5 women over prayer at Western Wall

JERUSALEM: Israeli police yesterday detained five women at a Jerusalem holy site for performing religious rituals that ultra-Orthodox Jews say are reserved for men.
The detentions came just a day after an Israeli organization proposed a compromise to diffuse tensions over the issue of women’s worship at the Western Wall. The proposal, which still has to be approved by the government, envisions establishing a new section at the site where men and women can pray together.
About 120 women arrived yesterday morning for their monthly prayer service and police detained five for wearing prayer shawls, said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. He said they were later released without charge.
Rosenfeld said an ultra-Orthodox man was also detained for burning a prayer book in protest and was still in custody.
The Western Wall, the only remaining part of the biblical Temple compound, is the holiest site where Jews can pray. It is currently divided into men’s and women’s sections. Orthodox rabbis, who control Israel’s religious institutions, oppose mixed-gender prayers.
In recent months, female worshippers have been detained at the site for wearing religious garments and leading prayers.