Israel PM slammed for opposing women Western Wall prayer

JERUSALEM

Israel's prime minister has reportedly agreed to support attempts to block Jewish women from reading the Torah at Jerusalem's Western Wall.

Army Radio reported Tuesday that Netanyahu last week held a meeting with ultra-orthodox Jewish groups where he agreed not to allow the prayer at the site, which is considered by Jews to be the holiest place of worship.

In response, officials at the Prime Minister's office told Anadolu Agency: "The Prime Minister supports the status quo and respects all streams of Judaism."

Women of the Wall, a pressure group pushing for women to be given equal praying rights as men, accused Netanyahu of "double speak" in his comments on the matter.

They said Netanyahu supported their demands when addressing English-speaking Jews in North America, but opposed them with Israeli audiences.

"Apparently when Netanyahu spoke of 'all' Jews [having freedom to pray] in November 2015, he forgot that women make up half of all Jews. No Israeli Prime Minister has the right to take away Torah from half of all J ews," said a statement from the group. "Even if we must hide our Torah scroll and smuggle it past the guards, we will do so just as Jews have been forced to do so many times before us in exile."

Another women's rights group, the Center for Women’s Justice in Jerusalem, has filed a petition awaiting a ruling from the Supreme Court that challenges the legal basis of existing bans on woman reading the Torah at the Western Wall.