Haaretz reported that Minister of Agriculture, Uri Ariel (Habayit Hayehudi) criticized the Prime Minister for unilaterally moving to expand the "mixed" section of the Kotel under the pretext of making it accessible to disabled persons.
The Minister was quoted as saying: " Authority is vested with the Chief Rabbinate, at the Kotel (Wailing Wall). What the Prime Minister's Office is trying to do bypasses the Chief Rabbinate."