58 No. 67 JUSTICE today this choice has radiated not only outwards, to the legal and political sphere, but also inwards. For the liberal movements abroad, the WoW campaign has become a symbol. If the State of Israel believes it is important to maintain and strengthen its bond with Diaspora Jewry, thus runs the argument, it must try to embrace rather than reject them. A final point. Looking at the matter from a broad perspective leads to the conclusion that accepting the women’s demand would not go far enough. The WoW want to hold a monthly prayer service in the women’s section of the Western Wall Plaza. Their service does not comply with the tenets of the liberal movements, which reject gender segregation. Moreover, although the demand for a monthly service may have served as a highly visible political ploy, such a limited opening will not give the liberal movements a way to move closer to the sacred. If we want to honor the aspirations and feelings of their members, the appropriate way to do so is to develop a prayer space where individuals and groups affiliated with the liberal movements can be close to the Western Wall, both physically and spiritually. n Gideon Sapir is a Professor of Law at Bar-Ilan University and a Senior Fellow at the Kohelet Policy Forum.
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