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Last update - 22:34 18/11/2009
Police arrest woman for wearing prayer shawl at Western Wall
By Nir Hasson and Liel Kyzer, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Western Wall 
 

Police on Wednesday arrested a woman who was praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, due to the fact that she was wrapped in a prayer shawl (tallit).

The woman was visiting the site with the religious women's group "Women of the Wall" to take part in the monthly Rosh Hodesh prayer.

Police were called to the area after the group asked to read aloud from a Torah scroll.
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Police said they arrested the women in the wake of a High Court ruling, which states that the public visiting the Western Wall is obligated to dress in accordance with the site's dress code.

Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz said the act was a provocation meant to turn the wall into a fighting ground. "We must distance politics and disagreement from this sacred place," Rabinowitz said.

Chairman of the women's group, Anat Hoffman, said that this is the first time in the history of Israel that a woman has been arrested because she wrapped herself in a tallit and read from the Torah.

Rabbi Gilad Kariv, associate director of Israel's reform movement, said that all over the world women are entitled to wear the tallit, and only in the land of the Jews are they excluded from the social custom and even arrested for praying.

"Israeli police should be ashamed of themselves," Kariv said.

Last week Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the Shas party's spiritual leader, said during his weekly sermon that the women in the feminist movement are "stupid" and act the way they do out of a selfish desire for equality, not "for heavens' sake."

Rabbi Ovadia also said about the groups' custom to pray at the Western Wall that "there are stupid women who come to the Western Wall, put on a tallit (prayer shawl), and pray," and added that they should be condemned.
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  1.   Freedom of religous expression - not in Israel 11:15  |  TW 18/11/09
  2.   beheadings soon to follow? 11:26  |  Candida 18/11/09
  3.   I had to agree Rabbi Ovadia 11:37  |  Edward 18/11/09
  4.   Ovadia Yosef`s comments on woman wearing talit. 11:45  |  David M.Cohen 18/11/09
  5.   she must respect dress codes same law applies to everybody 12:00  |  zionist forever 18/11/09
  6.   Israel - Secular State or Theocracy? 12:06  |  Critic 18/11/09
  7.   Religious Freedom? 12:29  |  Hiddush 18/11/09
  8.   Rule of the Jewish Taliban 12:32  |  chelemer 18/11/09
  9.   Where is democracy? 12:32  |  Freedom, I think not 18/11/09
  10.   Where`s the difference between Israel and Iran? 12:37  |  Gray 18/11/09
  11.   Welcome to Iran! 13:02  |  Apa 18/11/09
  12.   reply no. 3 13:09  |  rebecca 18/11/09
  13.   reply to no. 5 13:10  |  rebecca 18/11/09
  14.   Would she walk into the Vatican dressed inappropriately? 13:14  |  Sarah 18/11/09
  15.   9 13:14  |  zionist forever 18/11/09
  16.   From the country 13:40  |  Axel 18/11/09
  17.   "A selfish desire for equality." 13:40  |  Maureen Ann 18/11/09
  18.   `thank g-d I wasn`t created a woman` 13:42  |  had enough 18/11/09
  19.   Edward has it backwards 13:46  |  Pissed woman 18/11/09
  20.   Woman in Talis at the almost "wall" 13:53  |  Morton Narrowe 18/11/09
  21.   Sarah 14:11  |  Pissed woman 18/11/09
  22.   Sarah #13 14:24  |  Avi-former Sruggie 18/11/09
  23.   sarah 13 14:36  |  potobac 18/11/09
  24.   Very silly and very gender biased. 14:41  |  JO 18/11/09
  25.   # 14 sarah 14:42  |  Axel 18/11/09
  26.   Praying at the Kotel 14:48  |  Jackie 18/11/09
  27.   TArrested for thought crimes 15:08  |  Chris Linthwaite 18/11/09
  28.   The Kotel should be for ALL Jews 15:22  |  pissed woman 18/11/09
  29.   When will Israel break orthodox`s monopoly? 15:27  |  Israeli citizen 18/11/09
  30.   Re: 14 15:43  |  Laura Berger 18/11/09
  31.   most religious places have certain dress codes that apply to all 15:43  |  zionist forever 18/11/09
  32.   I wonder if their children are still Jewish 15:51  |  Ex-reformist 18/11/09
  33.   Let`s face it 15:56  |  Mark Lincoln 18/11/09
  34.   Sarah, Sarah Sarah, oh the joys of tzniout! #14 15:58  |  Yaakov Sullivan 18/11/09
  35.   Women serve in Israeli army 16:09  |  A Real Man 18/11/09
  36.   The Kotel IS for all Jews- Please respect it 16:12  |  Aaron 18/11/09
  37.   had enough #18 16:26  |  Roo 18/11/09
  38.   Last time I looked... 16:26  |  shareth 18/11/09
  39.   It`s not Purim 16:48  |  leon 18/11/09
  40.   Is this the right way to go? 16:54  |  Elias 18/11/09
  41.   Gilad Kativ has got it wrong. 16:59  |  menachemP 18/11/09
  42.   Tallit! (don`t be so angry) 17:07  |  Thom 18/11/09
  43.   Sarah, she is a Jew 17:10  |  Dovie 18/11/09
  44.   had enough #18 17:10  |  Roo 18/11/09
  45.   HAARETZ EDITORS PLEASE READ 17:12  |  Thom 18/11/09
  46.   They did well 17:15  |  Joey 18/11/09
  47.   ok all Israel bashers line up 17:19  |  Chaphari 18/11/09
  48.   Religious tolerance ? 17:20  |  Avi 18/11/09
  49.   # 16 17:24  |  Avi 18/11/09
  50.   This is news: Jews on the Temple Mount can`t pray 17:26  |  Ilan 18/11/09
  51.   Re #15, Zionist Forever 17:27  |  Apa 18/11/09
  52.   Wear Tefillin like Rashi`s daughters 17:28  |  Chaim 18/11/09
  53.   for everyone under conditions 17:36  |  izzey 18/11/09
  54.   Wearing a Tallit at the Wall 17:43  |  Michele Medwin 18/11/09
  55.   Harav Ovadia is absolutely correct! 17:43  |  Steve White 18/11/09
  56.   The middle East is turning us into arabs 17:52  |  Steve 18/11/09
  57.   Exactly why the world isn`t at peace! 17:56  |  sharpinchitown 18/11/09
  58.   had enough #18 17:59  |  Roo 18/11/09
  59.   To Zionist Forever 18:04  |  sharpinchitown 18/11/09
  60.   Isn`t it a mitzvah to read from the Torah?! 18:13  |  AriOren 18/11/09
  61.   # 14 sarah 18:20  |  Axel 18/11/09
  62.   Respect The Tranquility of the Wall 18:48  |  Laguna Geno 18/11/09
  63.   So when can Jews pray on the Temple Mount 18:48  |  Ilan 18/11/09
  64.   Freedom of religious expression: Not in Palestine 19:26  |  Joe Sittizen 18/11/09
  65.   Freedom of religious expression: Not in Palestine 19:30  |  Joe Sittizen 18/11/09
  66.   to Pissed Woman 19:32  |  David 18/11/09
  67.   The Haredi Disagree with the Torah 19:36  |  onimo 18/11/09
  68.   Freedom of Expression: Jewish Taliban??? 19:46  |  EZ 18/11/09
  69.   Nothing better to do? 19:47  |  MIKE 18/11/09
  70.   We freed the wall 20:00  |  Danny Antidat 18/11/09
  71.   disgusting 20:01  |  alan 18/11/09
  72.   Women should pray at their own risk in the holy land. 20:01  |  Jojo 18/11/09
  73.   No `social custom` but sacred practice 20:03  |  Rouven 18/11/09
  74.   # 39 ilan 20:07  |  Axel 18/11/09
  75.   Not enough facts 20:07  |  Jerusalem Shmuel 18/11/09
  76.   Tallit, Tefillin and Taharah 20:41  |  Oil on Waters 18/11/09
  77.   Intolerance turned "inward" 20:48  |  Joseph 18/11/09
  78.   Shame and Hope 20:54  |  Sar Chasm 18/11/09
  79.   david m. cohen 22:31  |  namlee 18/11/09
  80.   Ilan of palestine on Jews Praying on the Temple Mount 22:35  |  Yaakov Sullivan 18/11/09
  81.   i thought israel was a jewish state 23:41  |  dana 18/11/09
  82.   Ah, the Politics of Religion - Israel at it`s worst 23:56  |  B`galil 18/11/09
  83.   Misogyny par excellence 00:00  |  Fair 19/11/09
  84.   joe sittizen 56 00:37  |  potobac 19/11/09
  85.   PLEASE TELL ME 02:09  |  TOBIA 19/11/09
  86.   What`s missing in this conversation? 04:27  |  Rick 19/11/09
  87.   #58 04:37  |  sharpinchitown 19/11/09
  88.   leon 31 04:53  |  potobac 19/11/09
  89.   STUPID??? 06:08  |  bob 19/11/09
  90.   43 07:10  |  zionist forever 19/11/09
  91.   When will enough be enough 08:01  |  Disgustedu 19/11/09
  92.   maybe American nonsense won`t fly at the wall 08:03  |  Mark 19/11/09
  93.   Response to # 33 menachemP NYC 08:24  |  Disgusted 19/11/09
  94.   #25, Mark Lincoln, you are wrong 10:59  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 19/11/09
  95.   Civil Court ruling 11:03  |  Yossi 19/11/09
  96.   #36, Roo 11:06  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 19/11/09
  97.   Not a hefker velt ! 11:17  |  Akiva 19/11/09
  98.   Freedom ? Taliban ? 11:24  |  Avi 19/11/09
  99.   Hooray! Fast forward to the Bronze Age! 11:25  |  Michael 19/11/09
  100.   Tallit is a Mitzva for men, whats the uproar all about? 11:28  |  Nati Hans 19/11/09
  101.   58th century and still no equality between both sexes in Judaism 11:57  |  Benjamina 19/11/09
  102.   she was not arrested because of the tallit 12:03  |  observer 19/11/09
  103.   Re: Zionist Forever 68 12:08  |  Apa 19/11/09
  104.   Yet it`s kosher for Jews suspected or convicted of crimes... 13:40  |  Esther 19/11/09
  105.   To # 37 Thom -re Rabbi Feinstein & the feminine pray shawl.. 13:47  |  Michael J 19/11/09
  106.   EZ 60. Do you think women should be paid less too? 14:05  |  Michael 19/11/09
  107.   Promised Land 14:28  |  Baruch Zusel 19/11/09
  108.   The mechanics behind this arrest 17:06  |  Moises 19/11/09
  109.   Attn Zionist Forever: The Wall belongs to ALL Jews 17:57  |  Lisa 19/11/09
  110.   no respect for progressive Judaism 20:12  |  Atna 19/11/09
  111.   Maybe they should make her drive a scapegoat into the desert. 20:40  |  Michael 19/11/09
  112.   Arrested? At most she should only have been escorted away... 20:41  |  bat yam 19/11/09
  113.   so women are stupid, huh? 20:52  |  Jim 19/11/09
  114.   Equal justice.... 00:28  |  Esther 20/11/09
  115.   Michael you forgot Islam. 00:37  |  Marko 20/11/09
  116.   a light onto other nations huh 01:43  |  VIPER 20/11/09
  117.   #56, STEVE, good luck with that 01:51  |  VIPER 20/11/09
  118.   P***ed Woman a joke 02:04  |  evildoc 20/11/09
  119.   funny "had enough" 02:06  |  evildoc 20/11/09
  120.   Woman at wall 02:23  |  Dan Kosokoff 20/11/09
  121.   Women of the Wall 02:30  |  Betti Miner 20/11/09
  122.   wrong 03:23  |  shoot 20/11/09
  123.   #63 never 05:18  |  anne 20/11/09
  124.   Moral Absolutism anyone? 05:48  |  Roy 20/11/09
  125.   Is this democracy? 06:24  |  Josh 20/11/09
  126.   Who May Read From Torah Scrolls? How Must They Be Attired? 06:58  |  Reader 20/11/09
  127.   its a mans world 07:54  |  pirooz 20/11/09
  128.   reply to "she must respect dress codes ... 08:05  |  Jeff 20/11/09
  129.   Women Can Do Anything They Want... 08:12  |  Yosemite 20/11/09
  130.   Women of the Wall 00:30  |  Davida 22/11/09
  131.   Police arrest woman for wearing prayer shawl at Western Wall 05:36  |  Robert Nickisson 22/11/09
  132.   Women are permitted to read from the Torah 20:07  |  Psymon 23/11/09
  133.   To Laura Berger 21:58  |  Freddy 23/11/09
  134.   #18 Shareth 22:05  |  Freddy 23/11/09
  135.   insulted? 16:04  |  Ari 10/12/09
  136.   crying over the talit 16:09  |  Arielle 10/12/09
  137.   It all depends... 11:00  |  parsley 22/12/09
  138.   Misogyny 21:11  |  Leah 05/01/10
  139.   #133 Fred, you seem to be an expert 01:37  |  Paul 13/01/10
  140.   Serious considerations 22:30  |  Adam 31/01/10
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