TIMES OF ISRAEL
Western Wall prayer fight ends with historic compromise
by Ben Sales
January 31, 2016

Israel’s government has approved a compromise to expand the non-Orthodox Jewish prayer section of the Western Wall, putting to rest the decades-long fight between Women of the Wall and Israel’s ultra-Orthodox religious establishment. Sunday’s deal achieves what had been an elusive goal: An interdenominational consensus on Judaism’s holiest prayer site, endorsed by the Israeli government. Under the deal, the non-Orthodox prayer section at the wall will become much larger and more accessible. But ultra-Orthodox — also called haredi — control of the Orthodox section will also be solidified, though non-Orthodox leaders have long protested that monopoly. The deal, a copy of which JTA obtained ahead of the Cabinet vote, still contains a few unknowns. READ MORE