Police kept more than 2,000 protesting ultra-Orthodox men away from a women’s service at the Western Wall.
JERUSALEM — A women’s prayer service at Israel’s holy Western Wall Friday was marred by arrests, as about 6,000 people swarmed the site to protest the liberal Jewish women’s group.
Around 2,000 ultra-Orthodox men and 3,000 young girls were among those in attendance, according to Israel Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld.
“Women of the Wall,” a pluralistic organization of religious Jewish women who demand to be allowed to pray at the Western Wall while not observing ultra-Orthodox custom, have gathered to pray at the Wall every month for more than 25 years.
Often there are protests. Ultra-Orthodox authorities in charge of the Wall believe that women should only be allowed to pray at the Wall according to ultra-Orthodox custom.
This time, the event was particularly contentious because the rabbi in charge of the Wall called for young girls to come protest.
An Israeli court this week authorized “Women of the Wall” to pray whatever way they wished at the Jewish holy site in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Police kept the group of protesters back from the women as they prayed Friday. They arrested three and detained another two for public disturbance.
