WATCH: Women of the Walls' prayer books ripped by haredim at Western Wall

"Dozens of prayer books were attacked this morning in an assault on Women of the Wall. This is a hate crime, plain and simple," tweeted Meretz MK Mossi Raz.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Haredi men ripping prayer books belonging to Women of the Wall at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, June 11, 2021.
A number of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men vandalized and ripped apart prayer books belonging to members of Women of the Wall at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City on Friday morning, after fighting to keep them off the premises. One man was apprehended by police for trying to snatch a bag from one of the women. 
A haredi man ripping a prayer book belonging to Women of the Wall, June 11, 2021. (Credit: WOMEN OF THE WALL)
A haredi man ripping a prayer book belonging to Women of the Wall, June 11, 2021. (Credit: WOMEN OF THE WALL)
According to the group, they arrived at the Wall with a Torah scroll for a bat mitzvah celebration, but were stopped by security. Once they handed the scroll over to security officials, they continued into the Western Wall Plaza, where the haredi group was waiting for them.
The Women of the Wall group, a Jewish feminist organization dedicated to securing prayer rights for women at the Western Wall, traditionally holds a prayer service at the Wall every Rosh Chodesh, at the beginning of each calendar month. 

Labor MK Gilad Kariv filmed the incident in a tweet, writing "The security authorities are doing nothing to stop it. Police are nowhere to be found." 

"This is the product of incitement and hate," he continued. 

"Dozens of prayer books were attacked this morning in an assault on Women of the Wall. This is a hate crime, plain and simple," tweeted Meretz MK Mossi Raz. 

On Tuesday, a source familiar with the negotiating team on the new coalition revealed that the new government will implement a resolution creating a state-recognized egalitarian prayer section at the southern end of the Western Wall. 

Four years ago, the resolution was passed by then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government but was dropped due to haredi pressure. 
At the time, the deal called for a large recognized section that would be accessible from the main complex and run by a board, including progressive Jewish representatives and members of the Women of the Wall organization.


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