Reacting to Saturday’s disruption by extremist Orthodox Jews of Tisha B’Av services being conducted by Conservative (Masorti) Jews at the section of the Western Wall set aside for egalitarian prayer, World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder said:
“I am beyond appalled and dismayed by the baseless hatred demonstrated by a group of extremist Orthodox zealots who disrupted the lawful Tisha B’Av service conducted by Conservative Jews at the section of the Western Wall set aside for egalitarian prayer. The non-Orthodox streams of Judaism are every bit as legitimate as the Orthodox. If not unequivocally condemned by the Israeli government, this latest provocation will only drive a further wedge between Israel and the Diaspora. I call on Prime Minister Bennett and Alternate Prime Minister Lapid to take all necessary steps to enable all Jews to worship undisturbed at the Western Wall from now on.”
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