Chairman Natan Sharansky of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel reacted on Monday to the bill introduced by the Sephardic-haredi Shas party in the Knesset on Sunday concerning prayer at the Western Wall of the Temple in Jerusalem by saying, “This bill makes a mockery of all the efforts made by recent governments to ensure that the Western Wall is a place that unites, rather than divides, the Jewish people."
Among other things, the bill would ban mixed-gender prayers at the holy site, as approved by the cabinet. Sharansky continued, "This bill's passage would have grave consequences for the relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jewry. Based on the Prime Minister’s strong personal commitment to strengthening the Israel-Diaspora relationship, it is my fervent hope that this damaging bill will be summarily dismissed by a majority of the coalition and of the Knesset.”