With a clear parliamentary majority, the coalition moves to strip the High Court of its ability to define religious conduct at Israel’s holiest site
In a move that signals a significant shift in the balance of power between the legislature and the judiciary, the Knesset approved the preliminary reading of the "Western Wall Law" on Wednesday. The bill passed with 56 lawmakers in favor and 47 opposed, marking a pivotal step in the coalition’s effort to cement Chief Rabbinate control over the holy site.
The legislation seeks to formally define "desecration" at Jewish holy sites exclusively as behavior that contradicts the instructions and rulings of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. By establishing this explicit definition, the bill aims to prevent the High Court of Justice from applying broad judicial interpretations to religious conduct, a practice that proponents of the law argue has allowed the court to decide on purely halakhic (Jewish legal) matters.
The bill introduces several critical amendments to the "Protection of Holy Places Law":