Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 15:56:02 -0500
From: Andrew Sacks <raisrael@JTSA.EDU>
Subject: An Outrage in Israel
Sender: "Masorti: Torah and News from the Masorti Movement in Israel" <MASORTI@JTSA.EDU>

Dear friends, members of women's tefilla (prayer) groups, and individuals
concerned about freedom of religion in Israel and in general:

The following bill is to be voted on Tuesday, December 4, in the Israeli
Knesset.


Translation of the Bill

Proposed bill concerning the holy sites, the preservation of the Western
Wall, No. 1924. The amendment follows:

To the Holy Sites Law of 1967, paragraph 2, a new paragraph, 2a, shall be
added:

1. The prayer area at the Western Wall Plaza shall be divided into a men's
section and women's section by a divider, and prayers by men and women in
a mixed group shall not be permitted there.

2. No religious ceremony shall be held in the women's section near the
Western Wall that includes taking out a Torah scroll and reading from it,
blowing the shofar, or wearing tallitot or tefillin.

3. Violators shall be imprisoned for seven years.

(End of text.)

The bill was proposed by the following Knesset members of the United Torah
Judaism party: Yaakov Litzmann, Moshe Gafni, Shmuel Halpert, and Avraham
Ravitz.

If we can send faxes sent to the relevant people (some of
whom are listed below) we have
a chance to stop this oppressive and discriminatory bill from going any
farther. The text speaks for itself, but please allow me to add a few
points:

We find it strange that this bill is up for voting during the very week of
awareness of violence against women, and also at a time when the Taliban,
whose abuse and oppression of women are well known, are fleeing
Afghanistan. This bill also bypasses the Israeli Supreme Court, which
decided in favor of Women of the Wall in May 2000, and violates the status
quo. Even if an individual might not wish to join Women of the Wall -- a
decision we respect completely -- we hope that she or he would still
oppose this bill and help fight it because of the danger it represents to
freedom of religion in Israel, not only for Jewish women, but for anyone
whom those in power may dislike.

Please fax and/or e-mail the people listed after this message. The
Knesset's website is www.knesset.gov.il, and it's possible to find faxes
and e-mails of Knesset members there.

Some relevant fax numbers:

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, The Prime Minister's Office: 972-2-566-4838
(to verify that the fax arrived: 972-2-670-5511) Mr. Meir Shetreet,
Justice Minister, Meir Shetreet: 972-2-628-5438 (to verify:
972-2-646-6528) Mr. Avrum Burg, Speaker of the Knesset: 972-2-675-4193 (to
verify: 972-2-675-3442)

Thanks for your help in fighting this dreadful proposed law.