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.
קבוצה קטנה של נשות הכותל הגיעה לרחבת הכותל - והותקפה בידי חרדים שהפגינו במקום@VeredPelman pic.twitter.com/ifaRU1FHJ8
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) June 11, 2021
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."
תפילת ראש חודש של נשות הכותל. הסידורים נחטפו ונקרעו. סדרני הכותל התהלכו מעדנות ולא עשו דבר. שוטרים אין. אלו פירות ההסתה והשנאה. ומי האחראים הישירים? רב הכותל רבינוביץ'. זה האחראי גם על מירון, שטרם השמיע קולו. זה המצויד ביועצי תקשורת. ולצדו נתניהו, שהקפיא בפחדנות את מתווה הכותל. pic.twitter.com/k0cMmd3tpa
— גלעד קריב (@KarivGilad) June 11, 2021
"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.
זה לא פוגרום של פורעים ערבים בבית כנסת בלוד. זה היום בבוקר ברחבת הכותל. חרדים קרעו לגזרים סידורים של נשות הכותל. pic.twitter.com/3DUhcEMCAH
— כאן תקראו רק דיווחי אמת -arik bender (@arikbender) June 11, 2021
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.