Ahead of tomorrow’s (Tuesday) Supreme Court hearing regarding the prayer arrangement at the Western Wall, Israel’s Chief Rabbis, Rabbi David Yosef and Rabbi Kalman Bar, submitted a statement to the court including a detailed halakhic ruling.
In the statement, filed by attorney Doron Taubman, the Chief Rabbis declare that the Western Wall plaza is considered a synagogue, and halakhic rules requiring gender separation apply to it.
The Rabbinate points out that the southern plaza ("Ezrat Yisrael") provides an alternative for groups wishing to pray outside the traditional Orthodox customs.
The Rabbinate further claims that the issue of prayer arrangements at the Western Wall is a halakhic-religious matter, and is not within the court's jurisdiction. "It is not possible to resolve matters rooted in faith and halakha using legal tools," the statement reads.
A statement from the Chief Rabbinate said, "The Western Wall is a remnant of our Temple; it is not a private asset and it is not a venue for protests. We expect the court to respect the thousands of years of Jewish tradition."
The hearing on the petitions is scheduled for tomorrow at 9:00 AM.